Maintaining Balance
by QQSuited
Summary: Sequel to How to Achieve Balance... Slapstick romantic comedy. The continuing story of Bianca and Maggie and how they have grown in the relationship, how they love each other and how they’ll always stay together. BiancaMaggie pairing. R&R please.
1. Welcome Back My Friends

**Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends  
We're so glad you could attend  
Come inside! Come inside!**  
Emerson, Lake and Palmer -_Karn Evil #9 First Impression_

Paris, France

November, 2005

Chapter 1

Maggie tangled her hands in Bianca's hair and pulled her closer, enjoying the feel of soft, warm lips beneath her own. Bianca gripped Maggie's brand new blue Rangers jersey in her fists, leaning into the kiss with abandon.

Slowly, Maggie pulled back then brushed her lips against Bianca's once more. "Binks," she whispered against that soft mouth. "I want you to come."

Bianca pulled back. "Excuse me?"

"Come with me. Back to Pine Valley."

"Oh. Oh!" Bianca started laughing. "You startled me there for a minute," she chuckled. "I mean, you're good, but…"

Maggie was silent for a minute then she grinned. "I must be losing my touch…"

"You want to go back to Pine Valley?" Bianca's brow knitted with confusion. "Are you sure?"

"I think I need to, B. I left so fast with you, I never said good-bye."

"Good-bye? To whom?"

Maggie caught Bianca's eyes with her own. "Frankie."

"Oh, sweetie…" Bianca whispered, cupping Maggie's cheek with her hand. She pulled the blonde to her, wrapping her arms around the slender body.

There was a sigh as Maggie returned Bianca's hold, her lips seeking, and finding, the pulse in Bianca's neck. "Plus, your mom called. She wants to know if we're coming for Thanksgiving…"

_Crap…_

Ah, the kitchen.

A house is identified by its kitchen. The kitchen is what makes a house a home. The enticing smells, the warm atmosphere, the sense of family.

A kitchen is a haven.

A harbor.

Inspiration point.

Make-out central…

God, Maggie was glad to have the kitchen back. Twice since Kendall left she and Bianca found themselves doing incredibly wicked things to each other in the kitchen. Maggie _loved_ the kitchen…

Currently, she was once again planted on the counter, her ankles hooked at the small of Bianca's back, Bianca's hands on her hips, the two of them happily necking like hormonal teenagers.

Bianca managed to pull back. "Stop trying to distract me," she murmured, tilting her head so Maggie could once again attack her delicate throat.

"Distract you? Moi?"

"Yes you," Bianca attempted to stop Maggie from capturing her lips again. "I swear, ever since my sister left, all you've wanted to do was neck in the kitchen. We make out in here more than we eat."

"I don't hear you complaining."

"Yeah, well, when your lips are glued to mine, it doesn't leave a lot of room for talk…" She pressed her forehead to Maggie's. "Talk to me, Mags," she whispered. "You mentioned going home for a visit."

Instead of answering, Maggie rolled her forehead against Bianca's and quickly captured her lips in kiss. Sliding off the counter, she leaned into Bianca, pressing her backwards and down onto the kitchen floor, a hand cradling the dark head from hitting the imported Italian tile.

"Hmm, cold," Bianca whispered huskily. "This is something new…" She grabbed Maggie's blonde head in her hands, brown eyes locking on brown eyes. "Don't think this gets you off the hook."

"Give me a minute and we won't be thinking at all…"

"Oh Bianca, I'm so glad you, Miranda and Maggie have decided to come back to Pine Valley to visit," Erica gushed through the phone lines. "You'll finally have the opportunity to see the new place your Uncle Jack and I built."

Bianca held the phone to her ear, her other hand over her eyes. She never said they were coming for sure, only that it was something Maggie was considering. Sighing, knowing her decision had just been made, Bianca could only hope the new place her mother and Jack had built was huge. And soundproof…

_Crap…_

_-------------------------------------- _

Maggie looked around the jet, the deep leather seats, the mahogany counters, the DVD player, wet bar and airphone. The last time she was here, she had been running far and fast from Pine Valley. Now here she was, the jet pointing back in that direction, Bianca and Miranda once again at her side.

Lord, life is funny sometimes…

"You okay?" Bianca asked, gently running a hand down Maggie's back. "Mags?"

"Since it's just the three of us and the pilots," Maggie said in reply, tossing Bianca that lopsided Stone grin, "I don't suppose we're going to be joining the mile-high club, huh?"

Bianca laughed. "Maggie…"

"Because that bathroom is huge!"

"Maggie! Airplane bathroom! Um, eeww."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Come on, B, it's a private jet!"

"Still, bathroom." She held up a hand. "Eww."

"Sometimes you show absolutely no imagination, Binks..." She threw herself onto one of the leather sofas and crossed one jeans-clad leg over the other, crossing her arms over her chest. "And I certainly didn't hear you complaining when we christened the bathroom back in the apartment."

Bianca gave Maggie a look, her brow furrowed in curiosity. If she didn't know better, she'd think the blonde was actually pouting. "There's a difference, Maggie," she replied, moving to stand in front of the blonde and crossing her arms over her own chest. "Our bathroom, our_clean_ bathroom, is back in Paris. This bathroom, this is a private jet and again, I repeat, _airplane bathroom_! Eww!"

"Fine," Maggie muttered, picking at a loose thread on her jeans. Yep, she was pouting. Suddenly, she gave Bianca a sly little look. "Shall we chance rugburn, then?" she asked with a grin.

Bianca grinned back. "No, but I hear these couches fold out."

Maggie's eyes nearly popped out of her head at Bianca's words. "And what about Miranda?" she asked.

"Two words: Privacy. Curtain."

"And if she hears us?"

"One word, two syllables. Naptime."

With a grin, Maggie pushed herself to her feet, advancing on Bianca with determination. "Gotta hand it to ya, B, you thought ahead, didn't you?"

"Well, I know how you think."

"Just so you know," Maggie whispered, hooking her fingers in the belt loops on Bianca's jeans and tugging her close. She buried her face in Bianca's neck, kissing her way up to the perfect shell of an ear. "I brought the jersey…"

Despite herself, Bianca smiled as Maggie continued to kiss and nip at her earlobe. "Hey, Maggie?"

"Hmm?"

"You think we could wait until we actually get in the air?"

-------------------------------------------

Pine Valley, PA

November, 2005

Bianca smacked Maggie's hand.

"What?!" Maggie exclaimed, shaking her stinging hand. Man, that was a pretty good smack Binks just laid on her.

"We are not at home, Maggie, you can't just get all handsy where ever you want. I swear, it's like living with an octopus sometimes." Bianca looked around the huge room. "For one thing, this is not our kitchen. Get off the counter."

Maggie rubbed her hand, glowing a little red where Bianca slapped it. "That hurt, you know."

"Well, I hope so. Behave."

"And what if I don't want to? What are you going to do? Spank me?" And she gave Bianca her lopsided grin. The grin she used to get what she wanted. The grin that usually succeeded in doing just that. The grin Bianca had never been able to deny.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Oh, God."

"There you go again. My name is Maggie. Say it with me, Maahhhh-ggheee."

"Maggie-."

"-that's better."

"-this is not our kitchen."

"I know it's not."

"So, _get off the counter!"_

"Ooh, bossy, I like." Maggie hopped off the counter right into Bianca's arms. She pushed Bianca up against the other counter, arms pinning her in. She kissed the brunette, working hard at getting to make-out mode. "So, now what?" she whispered huskily. "Shall we scamper off to the bedroom?"

Bianca gave Maggie a look. "Did you just use the word 'scamper'?"

Her arms slipping around Bianca's waist, Maggie pressed another, deeper, kiss to her lips. "Yeah, I did. I do read books, you know."

"Yeah, that one sounded like it came from one of Miranda's."

"Hmm, more like the adult version of _Bambi_. You know... Thumper?" Maggie grinned and winked, then buried her face in Bianca's neck, her lips quickly glued to the warm, soft skin. "So... what do you say? Bedroom?"

Despite herself, Bianca found her hands in Maggie's hair, seriously contemplating the blonde's suggestion. Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open and Kendall swept in.

"Hello, girls!" she exclaimed. "Necking again, are we?"

Her words were like a bucket of ice water, separating the two lovers instantly.

"Bell," Maggie muttered, favoring Kendall with a lethal glare. "When are we getting her a bell?"

Bianca sighed sadly. "Maggie, this isn't our kitchen."

"You got that right, Binks," Kendall retorted, reaching into the huge stainless steel Sub-Zero for a bottle of water.

"Hey, Kendall," Maggie growled, "bite me."

"Oh, I would," Kendall replied, twisting off the cap to her water and taking a sip, "but then my sister would get jealous."

Maggie shuddered. "Okay, no longer in the mood."

Now Kendall grinned. "My work here is done."

Bianca quickly grabbed Maggie by the waist before she could make a move toward the taller woman. Before Maggie could make even a token attempt to struggle, Lily stepped out from inside the huge walk-in pantry.

"Three thirty-four p.m.," the young girl said, writing furiously in her little notebook. "Bianca and Maggie make-out in the kitchen."

Maggie stopped struggling and whipped her head around to look at Bianca. "She's spying on us?" she exclaimed, her eyes going wide. Bianca had to re-coil in a hurry to avoid taking a shot directly to the nose. "Lily?"

Kendall, sensing blood in the water better than a Great White shark, could only grin wider and take another little dig. "You better be careful, half-pint, you never know _who _may be watching." She appeared to think about it for a moment. "The walls have ears, too."

"What the hell is_that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means I may be of some benefit on your stay here."

Maggie snorted. "How?"

"Come on, would you rather Erica is the one who keeps stumbling upon you two?"

"Jeez, no!"

"You know, sweetie," Bianca said softly, "for once I think my sister may be right." Maggie gave Bianca a wide-eyed look, then took one giant step backwards. Bianca's own eyes narrowed at her partner. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting to see if lightening strikes," Maggie replied. She gave a jerk to her head in Kendall's direction. "You just said Kendall was right about something."

"Oh, ha ha."

"Hey!" Kendall exclaimed. "You two are the ones who keep necking in the kitchen! Erica's bound to catch you sooner or later."

Maggie held her head in both hands. "Why did I even let myself talk you into coming back to this town?" she moaned, shaking her head. "Why did I agree that we should stay here? The Valley Inn had rooms. _Private_ rooms."

"And this is the kitchen!" Bianca exclaimed with a wave of her arms, indicating the gourmet chef-designed room they currently stood in. "Not private, Maggie! Not private at all!" Then, hands on her hips, she gave Maggie a stern look. _"And this is not our kitchen!"_

"Fine, I heard you!" Maggie shouted back, throwing her arms up in the air. "Not our kitchen! I get it!"

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Bianca turned toward the pantry to find something for Miranda to snack on when the child awoke from her nap. She disappeared into the room just as Lily started a run down on all she'd seen and heard.

"At 8:15, they kissed in the living room," the young girl offered, consulting her notebook again. "At 9:19, they kissed in front of the bathroom. Then they kissed in the kitchen. It lasted longer in the kitchen..." She smiled. "I'm going to practice that with Sam..." Lily looked up at Maggie with a slightly confused look on her face. "Maggie? Kendall keeps saying 'necking'. What does that mean?"

"Uh, well," Maggie stuttered. She shot Kendall a deadly glance when she heard her snicker. "It's- it's kissing, Lily."

"But kissing is with the lips. I don't understand."

"Um... well..." Maggie scratched her head. _Oh, man..._, she thought. _Wrong answer, Erica kills me. Right answer, Jack kills me..._ "You know what, Lily, ask Reggie. He'll explain it a lot better than I would."

"Okay, thanks." With that, the young blonde skipped out of the kitchen.

"Whew, that was close."

Just then, Erica swept into the kitchen. "Maggie? What's wrong with Lily?"

"What do you mean?"

Bianca emerged from the pantry just in time to hear Erica say, "Necking."

Maggie's eyes went wide. "She got that word from Kendall!" Suddenly finding an escape, she started edging her way toward the door. "You know what, I should talk to her about that. I mean, she really shouldn't be listening to Kendall."

With that, even Kendall grinned. "Good luck, you two," she sang, sweeping out the door with a toss of her head.

"Well, thank you, Maggie, I would appreciate that," Erica said, deciding to ignore Kendall's ribbing of the girls. Then she turned to her daughter. "Bianca? May I have a word with you?"

"All right, Mother."

"And Maggie?"

"Yes, Erica?"

"You do realize this isn't your kitchen, don't you?"

Maggie's head fell back and she stared at the ceiling. "Does _everyone_ know what goes on in our kitchen?"

"The walls do have ears, you know," Erica replied, adding in her patented Kane hair toss.

"Yeah, so I've been told." She kept making her way to the door. "I'll go...-." Maggie thought for any excuse she could. It came to her suddenly. "Check on Miranda! Yeah! I'll just...- I'll check on Miranda..."

"You do that, Maggie, and I'll just have a word with Bianca."

_Why does that worry me? _Maggie thought as she bolted from the room.

_Oh, no, here comes the mother hen speech_, Bianca thought as she slid into a chair at the 12-place kitchen table. _Maggie, I'm sooo going to get you for this..._

_Wow, Maggie isn't very good under pressure, is she?_ Erica thought. _Oh, well, at least she's giving me time to spend with my daughter._

"Okay, Mom," Bianca sighed, sitting with her hands on the table, one on top of the other. She looked as if she expected a scolding. "Say what you have to say."

Erica took a deep breath. Bianca cringed slightly.

"When are you going to show me?" Erica asked.

Bianca blinked. "Excuse me?"

"The ring. How long am I going to have to wait before you show me the ring Maggie gave you?"

"Oh!" Bianca exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief. She held up her hand to her mother. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Erica took Bianca's hand and admired the beautiful engraved band. "Yes, it is," she agreed. "Where's the rock?"

"Rock?"

"Rock, stone, diamond."

"Mother," Bianca sighed. "Why is it always about rocks with you?"

"Well, I'm a Kane, dear. And so are you. It should _always_ be about rocks."

Bianca shook her head, pulling her hand back to look at the ring she wore. She smiled as she touched the band, turning it gently on her finger. "Not with me," she assured her mother. "It's not about the size of the rock. It's the thought behind the ring that matters here."

"And what was the thought here?" Erica asked.

"That Maggie loves me."

Erica smiled. "Of course, she does, she'd be crazy not to!"

"So then, why are you looking for a diamond?"

There was silence for a moment as Erica contemplated Bianca's words. Her youngest daughter was truly the wise one, wasn't she? "You know what, Bianca?" she said with a megawatt Erica Kane smile. "The ring is beautiful. And you're right, there's no need for a rock."

"Thank you, Mother."

"I was just thinking about the wonderful wedding I could plan..."

And there it was...

Bianca just rolled her eyes. "Mother..."

"What? A mother can't dream?"

"I'm going to go check on Maggie and Miranda," Bianca muttered, shaking her head as she slipped out of the kitchen.

"Fine, dear!" Erica called after her. "I'll just keep dreaming!"

When she reached their rooms, she saw Miranda was lying quietly in her crib while Maggie was nowhere to be found. Gently taking the toddler into her arms, Bianca quickly changed her and returned to the bedroom, settling herself and her daughter onto the bed to play.

"Bianca!" Maggie yelled down the long corridor in their wing of the mansion Erica had built after her wedding to Jackson. "Bianca!"

"In here!" Bianca's voice floated back to her.

"In here where?! There's, like, a million rooms in this place!"

"In our room, you goof!"

Finally finding door number one and entering, Maggie shook her head. "Remind me again why we decided to visit Pine Valley?" she asked, crawling onto the queen-sized downy soft bed beside Bianca.

"Um," Bianca held up a hand. "You suggested we visit, if I recall."

Maggie gave her a look. "You should have stopped me," she replied.

Bianca gave Maggie a cheeky grin. "It all started when you asked me to come... back to Pine Valley."

"Ha ha, you're very funny, Montgomery. Trying to use my own words against me."

"You started it," Bianca reminded her.

"Still, you should have stopped me."

"Hey, the cold tile floor short-circuited my brain."

That made Maggie sigh dreamily. "Yeah, mine, too..." Suddenly, she sat up and looked at Bianca. "So, I see you're still alive. I hope Erica didn't read you the riot act."

"Um, actually, she wants to plan a wedding."

"What?!" Maggie replied a little louder than she had intended, startling Miranda.

"Oh, I think you heard me," Bianca replied.

"'Aggie scream," Miranda said with a baby's innocence.

"Sorry, Munchkin," Maggie whispered to the child, taking Miranda's hands in hers. Then she cleared her throat. "She wants to what?"

"Wedding. My mother wants to plan a wedding."

"Whose?"

"Oh, that's very funny. She's dreaming about planning a wedding."

"And I hope you told her to keep dreaming."

"Yes, I did."

"Good." _Whew_, Maggie thought. She wiped the imaginary sweat from her forehead. "You had me worried for a second."

Bianca was silent for a long time, just watching Maggie. Maggie began to squirm a bit under the intensity of the gaze. "You are such a guy," Bianca said finally, shaking her head. "A little marriage talk and suddenly, you're sweating bullets."

"What? Me sweating bullets? No way!"

"Should I tell her to start planning?"

Maggie almost leapt off the bed. "No!"

"You _are_ scared!"

"Yeah, scared of what your mother is capable of planning!"

"Maggie..."

"Bianca..."

"Oh, God..."

"And again... look at you."

"What?"

"M-a-g-g-i-e does not spell God."

Bianca gave Maggie a look, raised her hand, which caused Maggie to lean away in fear of being smacked again. "Stop changing the subject," Bianca said, lowering her hand.

"What was the subject?"

"My mother and you fear of her planning a wedding."

Maggie grimaced. "Oh... right..."

"I mean, it's not like she's thinking _Gone With the Wind _or anything."

"That scares me even_more_ and I've never even _seen_ that movie!"

Bianca eyed Maggie. "So, you admit, you are scared."

"Are not."

"Are, too."

"Aahhh," Miranda sang, intently watching the back and forth between her Momma and 'Aggie.

Maggie looked from the baby to Bianca and grinned. "When she goes down for her nap, I'll show you scared."

"Promises, promises," Bianca replied.

"I will."

"Will not."

"Will, too."

"Aahhh," Miranda sang again.

"And she just woke up from a nap, Maggie."

'Shit,' Maggie muttered under her breath. "Well, she's got to go to bed sometime."

"Oh, yeah? Then what?"

"Then I'll show you what scared is like."

"Oh, you're on."

"Make sure you lock the door, though," Maggie said thoughtfully. "We don't want Kendall and her radar barging in on us."

"Now that scares _me_."

"What? Your sister or her sexdar."

"Maggie!" Bianca exclaimed, smacking her on the arm.

"Ow!" Maggie blurted, rubbing the stinging welt on her arm. Man, she sure was getting smacked a lot by Bianca today. "What was that for?"

"For calling my sister some scientific term."

"What? What did I say?"

"Sexdar."

Maggie smiled down at Miranda, praying she wasn't understanding any of what they were discussing. "Well, she has it and it has one search beacon. Focused directly on us." She glanced up at Bianca. "No matter what continent we're on. I mean, really..." She flipped a finger into the air. "She probably sits at the table every morning, drinking her coffee. And she senses it... blip... blip...blip..."

Shuddering at the thought, Bianca replied, "I honestly doubt Kendall sits and thinks about us while drinking her morning coffee."

"No, she _senses_ us."

"Okay, now you're_really_ scaring me."

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me," Maggie said suddenly, grabbing Bianca's hand and pulling her close.

"Aaahhh," Miranda sang once more, grinning a gap-toothed baby grin as she watched them kiss.

"Hey, guys!" Kendall called, throwing open the bedroom door.

Maggie jerked back. "See?! Sexdar!!"

"What?" Kendall asked in all insincerity. "I just wanted to see my niece."

"Here." Maggie picked Miranda up in her arms and slid off the bed. She kissed the toddler on the head then handed her over to Kendall. "Take her, she's all yours."

"Wow..." Bianca whispered, watching Kendall and Miranda depart, the two of them chattering animatedly to each other. "I think you're right..."

Maggie gave Bianca a sly little look as an idea came to her. "Think they'll be gone for a while?" she asked, moving in on the brunette.

"Why?"

"I'll show you scared..." And she captured Bianca's lips in a quick yet thorough kiss.

When Maggie finally pulled back, Bianca grinned. "Lock the door."

---------------------------------

Slipping back into their room a couple days later, Maggie moved up behind Bianca, sliding her arms around the brunette's waist. Planting her lips at the juncture of neck and shoulder, she sighed. "Let's get out of here," she murmured.

"Okay." Her head nearly snapped off her neck when Maggie grabbed her hand and pulled her toward where she thought the front door might be. "Jeez, Mags, what's the rush?"

"Lily."

"Oh, no," Bianca groaned. "She's got Polaroids, doesn't she?"

Maggie rolled her eyes, still pulling Bianca down one hallway after another. _Shit! _she thought, _where the hell is the exit around here?!_ "And a schedule of when we make out," she told Bianca. "She's got all the times and places and she's still asking about the kitchen! She's asking questions, B! Questions I really don't want to answer!"

"Questions like what, Maggie?"

"Oh, just..." she did her best Lily impression, raising her voice to an innocent tone. "Kendall keeps teasing you about necking. Maggie, what's necking?"

Bianca grinned. "And what did you tell her?"

Now Maggie sighed. "I told her to ask Reggie."

"Maggie!" Bianca exclaimed.

"What?!" Maggie exclaimed right back. "I don't work very well under pressure!"

Bianca was immediately transported back to the other night and the things Maggie had done. "Oh, I don't know about that..." she replied with a grin.

"Stop changing the subject."

"What _was_ the subject?"

Maggie turned down another corridor, feeling a little like a rat in maze. _Where the hell is the cheese?_ "I can't believe I'm saying this but for once, Maggie Stone isn't thinking about sex right now. She's more worried about our sexual exploits making the rounds of this mansion... castle… whatever this place is."

"Sexual exploits?" Bianca squeaked. "I though we were just talking about necking?"

Maggie spun around, catching Bianca when she plowed into her. "_Kendall!_" she said, knowing that one word explained everything.

"Oh, God..."

"Bianca, this is not a good time to start that. Especially since the walls apparently have ears." Maggie shook her head. _I want out of here! _she thought frantically. "You know, I think she's really starting to enjoy walking in on us. It gives her some kind of weird power."

"Power? What do you mean, _power_?"

_Okay, I want out of here. The best way to achieve that is to get help..._ Suddenly, she reached up and kissed Bianca. Almost instantaneously, as though beamed in, Kendall arrived.

"Hello, girls."

Maggie pulled back. "SEE! It's like she's got ESPN- CNN- TNT- I mean ESP!" Shaking her head to compose herself, Maggie turned to glare at Bianca's sister. "And she knows I was getting you out of the house for a little make-out session. She controls our sex life now, B. We're at her mercy."

"Wow," Kendall breathed in realization. "I never knew I had that kind of power." She grinned. "Damn, I'm good."

"You're good at what?" another voice asked. Greenlee then appeared from around the same corner Kendall had materialized from.

"Oh, God," Maggie groaned, storming past them. "Air... I need air!"

"Maggie!" Lily called, hurrying down the hall toward them. She ran up to Maggie's side. "Reggie finally explained what necking really is to me. Now I have to find Sam so we can practice..."

Bianca put a hand to her forehead as the spectacle played out in front of her.

"I have the power over their sex lives," Kendall was explaining to Greenlee. They both turned to watch Maggie rush past. "It's my special skill."

"AIR!" Maggie shouted. "Where the hell's the exit to this place?!?!"

"Hey, Maggie!" Bianca called, chasing after her. She threw Kendall a nasty look on the way by. "I'll deal with you later."

"What?" Kendall asked in all innocence.

Greenlee watched Bianca chase after Maggie, heading the direction she had just come from. With a devious smile, she turned back to Kendall. "Can I have the power, too?"

The clicking of stilettos on imported Italian marble signaled the arrival of Erica, striding purposely down the hallway. "What's all the commotion about?" she asked. "Maggie just raced out of here muttering about Kendall, Lily and necking, with Bianca chasing after her."

Lily held up a hand, then consulted her ever-present notebook. "Kendall says she has the power over Bianca and Maggie's sex-life and Reggie explained to me what necking really is because that's what Bianca and Maggie like to do in their kitchen in Paris and I'm going to go find Sam now so we can practice, too. Not in Paris, though, but here in our kitchen."

Erica held up a perfectly manicured hand. "Well, I certainly don't want to hear this." She smiled gently at Lily. "Lily, honey, I really think you should wait before you and Sam... practice... necking... in the kitchen."

Lily was confused, her brow knitting curiously. "But why?" she asked innocently. "Bianca and Maggie really seem to like it."

"Just because Bianca and Maggie like it doesn't mean you will, too."

"But how will I know unless I try?"

Erica went for logic. "How about we talk to your father about this first?"

Lily perked up. "Does Dad like necking in the kitchen?" Logic. Out the window.

"Oh, God, "Greenlee groaned, quickly backing away with her hands up. "This is one conversation I do_ not_ want to hear." She quickly disappeared around the corner.

Erica was at a complete loss for words. If Lily only knew...

"I have a power," Kendall hummed to herself. Then she laughed devilishly. "And I know how to use it..."

-------------------------------

Bianca finally caught up with Maggie as she headed down the flagstone path toward the stables. "Maggie! What the hell happened back there?"

"Jet lag is what happened back there."

"We've been here two days, Maggie, the jet lag is long gone." Then Bianca caught the look on Maggie's face. _Jet lag my lily-white..._ she thought. "You want to sleep it off?" she asked, taking Maggie's hand in both of hers.

Maggie grinned. "Well, now that we're finally out of that... fun-house..."

"Where should we go?"

"Some place Lily can't find us. Or your sister with her supernatural sexual power." Bianca gave her a sideways look. "Okay, that did _not_ sound right."

"Uh, no." Bianca thought about it as they continued down the walkway. "Okay, that leaves out the boathouse, Uncle Jack's old place, Mom's old place-."

"Greenlee's old place, Kendall's old place-."

"Fusion, Enchantment-."

Maggie cocked an eyebrow at Bianca. "How about back to Paris?"

"Maggie... Thanksgiving, remember?"

"Shit..."

"And you said you wanted to say good-bye... to Frankie."

Maggie sighed. "And I do, I do. I mean, that's why I'm here." She stopped and turned to Bianca, moving closer, nuzzling her nose into Bianca's neck. "But I can't go without for very long..."

"God, you're a freak, you know that?" But she tilted her head, allowing Maggie to continue doing what she was doing. She _loved_ what Maggie was doing...

"There you go," Maggie murmured against Bianca's throat. "Mistaking me for God again..."

"Hey," Bianca said, her voice hitching in her throat momentarily. "You were the one with the confusion on the plane."

Maggie pulled back to grin at Bianca. "Are you sure you're not more jet lagged than I am, Bianca? Because, really, jet lag can mess with your mind you know."

"No, it can't." Then Bianca grinned as well. "You're wondering if you get a membership card or something to the mile-high club, aren't you?"

"Maybe..."

"I think the pilot heard you mistake me for God a couple times..."

Maggie blushed. "Bianca!"

"It's okay, sweetie, I think he just thought we were praying for a safe flight."

As they continued their walk, the stables loomed ahead of them. They quickly traded a knowing look and grinned, taking off at a run for the nearest door. Grabbing a horse blanket on her way by, Maggie hurried up the ladder into the hay loft, Bianca right on her heels. Actually, Bianca was closer. Close enough to suddenly lean forward and bite Maggie.

Right on the ass.

"Hey, Montgomery!" the blonde shrieked. "Can't you hold off for one minute?!"

"What?" Bianca raised an eyebrow, looking up at Maggie. Well, actually at Maggie's ass, her nice jean-clad ass. "No longer in the mood?"

"Oh, I am in the mood all right, but it would help if we made it up the ladder first," she finished her climb up the ladder. "Okay, I'm up. You need a hand?"

"As long as you don't let go of me."

"B, do you really think I'd do that?" Maggie turned and reached out a hand to Bianca. When she felt slender fingers slid into her palm, she took hold and pulled Bianca up into the loft with her. As soon as they were both facing each other again, she slid an arm around Bianca's waist. "Never in a million years."

"Good." Wrapping her arms around Maggie's shoulders, Bianca lowered her head, catching Maggie's lips in a gentle kiss. "Very good..."

With her arm still encircling Bianca's waist, Maggie returned the favor, kissing Bianca deeply. Holding Bianca in one arm and the horse blanket in the other, Maggie started backing Bianca toward a pile of freshly tossed hay. Never allowing their lips to part, she managed to get the blanket on the straw then gently pressed Bianca down onto the blanket, settling down with her. Leaning over the brunette, Maggie began an onslaught of passionate kisses, designed to let Bianca know exactly what she had in mind.

"Ow," Bianca complained suddenly, breaking the latest kiss. "Wait, wait."

Maggie pulled back, not at all please with this turn of events. "What?" she sighed, just a little exasperated.

"Hay." Bianca tried to adjust her position. "You know, this looks so romantic in those stupid movies. No one tells you hay pokes you in odd places." She settled back again. "There, that's better." She opened her arms. "Come here."

When Maggie hesitated for just a nano-second, Bianca grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her down, their lips colliding feverishly. Lips parted, tongues danced, hands searched out and found.

Maggie tugged Bianca's blouse from her jeans, a hand sliding up her back, the skin hot and smooth beneath her fingertips. It thrilled her again, realizing that this was real, this was true. This was hers. Bianca. The feel of her, the touch and taste of her. She leaned over Bianca again, kissing her deeply, allowing her hair to fall in a curtain around them, closing them off from the outside world. She felt Bianca's hands under her own shirt, sliding up her back and pulling her close.

With the late afternoon sunlight spilling across their make-shift bed, Maggie slowly undressed Bianca and made incredible, gentle, sweet love to her. And after the sun had set, washing them in twilight, Bianca returned the favor.

"Ouch!" Maggie exclaimed later. "Shit, that was right in the ass."

"See?" Bianca said, her head on Maggie's shoulder. "Hay, not exactly what a mattress should be made of."

Maggie pulled the corner of the horse blanket over them a little tighter. "I have to admit, I thought it would be a little more comfortable than this." She kissed Bianca on the forehead. "Not that it inhibited us in any way."

"Maggie, jagged rocks wouldn't inhibit us in any way."

Maggie rolled onto her side, pulling Bianca into her arms once more. "What are you saying, Binks?" she asked, smiling as she felt Bianca's arms encircling her waist. "That we're a little obsessed?"

Bianca chuckled. "Well, let's see, here. I think this could be our first attempt at outdoor sex, and getting poked in the head and the ass, not to mention a couple other... more sensitive... places, didn't slow us down a bit." She pressed her lips to Maggie's throat, knowing how much she enjoyed it when Maggie kissed _her_ like that. "What do you think," she murmured.

"Not one bit," Maggie murmured as she gave one of her patented lopsided grins and captured Bianca's lips feverishly in another kiss.

"You know, sooner or later everyone is going to wonder where we are," Bianca pulled away slowly, brushing away Maggie's hair from her face. "And..."

"No," Maggie pressed a finger to Bianca's lips. "Don't you even dare say it!"

"Fine, I won't," Bianca smiled. "But, sweetie, we have to go back sometime. There's our daughter to consider."

"Oh, yeah, the Munchkin." Maggie replied. "I'm sure Kendall doesn't mind spending some more time with her. At least when she's with her, she won't be using her powers for evil."

And the familiar voice came…

"Bianca?" Kendall yelled out from the distance. "Bianca? Maggie? Come out, come out wherever you are!"

"Sexdar, I tell you. Sexdar." She pulled Bianca closer and whispered in her ear. "Don't move," she said, her lips against Bianca's skin, warm breath tickling her ear. "Don't speak. Don't... anything. She'll go away and we can get out of here."

"If you don't stop breathing on me like that, she's going to find us in a heartbeat."

Maggie shut up immediately. They waited quietly, listening to Kendall scream their names left and right. Five, ten minutes, listening to Kendall hunting for them. Eventually, her voice receded in the distance, signaling her departure from the stables.

"Whew, sexdar on the blink." Maggie looked around the loft. "Maybe hay is like kryptonite."

"Don't jinx it," Bianca retorted. "Come on, Mags. We should really head back to the house. But first, make sure there isn't any hay in our hair."

"It's not my hair I'm worried about..." Maggie muttered.

Hurriedly, they dressed and rushed back to the main house, giggling the entire way, flushed with the afterglow, pleased with themselves for not having been caught.

Kendall was waiting at the front door. "Where were you two? I've been looking all over for you."

They pushed past her, Bianca throwing her sister a look, and made it all the way back to their room. Halfway there they started laughing again, Bianca pushing the bedroom door closed behind them.

"Bianca? Where were you two?" Kendall knocked at their bedroom door.

"Lock the door," Maggie reminded Bianca.

"Already done," Bianca replied, advancing on Maggie. She had that Bad Binks look on her face and Maggie could only grin.

"Bianca?" the curly haired beauty kept calling, knocking repeatedly at the heavy oak door.

Bianca didn't answer, she was too busy pushing Maggie back onto the bed, quickly joining her and capturing her lips in a kiss.

"Fine," Kendall called out indignantly. "Don't want to open the door? We'll see about that!"

"We did it again," Maggie laughed. "We got rid of her. One point for us. Zero for Kendall."

A section of wall slid silently open and Kendall entered the room. "Hi, sex bunnies!" she called out. "What's new?"

Bianca pulled back from Maggie in shock. "What is this? Kendallous Interruptus?!"

Maggie shoved Bianca off onto her back and sat up in shock. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed. "Hidden passageways?!"

"What's your problem, short stuff?" Kendall asked, leaning back against the dresser and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm going to throw myself from the window if she doesn't leave this room!"

"Kendall," Bianca said in warning. She was going to kill her mother for adding secret passages to this sprawling mansion. Always one-upping Adam Chandler...

"Jeez, Mags," Kendall said with a grin. "Maybe you should switch to decaf."

"Do you do this to Jack and Erica?"

"Oh, God, are you kidding?! That's Lily's job."

"I'm not God!"

Then Maggie let loose a growl that made the hairs on Kendall's neck stand up. Her eyes went wide and she quickly decided she better make tracks before the blonde managed to untangle herself from Bianca.

"Okay," the curly-haired beauty said aloud to herself. "Maybe I need to learn how to harness my power before I come back..."

"Good idea," Bianca replied.

"Shoo!" Maggie shouted, exploding off the bed.

Kendall shrieked in surprise and bolted for the door, barely getting her jean-clad rear end through before Maggie got hold of her. Bianca, reminded of the time back in Paris when the same thing occurred, just shook her head.

She became concerned, though, when Maggie didn't return shortly thereafter.

"Bianca!" Maggie's voice shouted out. "Where the hell is the room?!"

Trying hard not to grin and failing, Bianca slid off the bed and moved toward the door. "Follow my voice," she called out.

She heard Maggie sigh. "I'm not really in the mood for a game of Marco Polo, right now, B!"

"Marco..."

"BIANCA!"

"You just lost."

"So _not_ in the mood to play!"

"If you do, I'll open the door."

"Fine... Polo."

Bianca grinned. "Say it like you mean it. Marco."

"Polo."

Bianca opened the door and Maggie lunged in, knocking her onto the thick Oriental rug. Lips locked onto each other and the kiss suddenly exploded in desire.

Maggie pulled back and grinned into Bianca's eyes, brushing a lock of hair off her cheek. "I win."


	2. Thanksgiving in the Valley of the Pine

Disclaimer: You know this is fiction because Maggie and Bianca are in a healthy relationship. Bianca, Maggie, Miranda, Kendall, Erica and the citizens of Pine Valley belong to ABC/AMC. No harm is intended, this is just for fun.

**Let me tell you  
'bout the way she loves me  
Ooh, I want the world to know  
I'm crazy about the way she loves me  
Ooh, I'm proud to let it show  
Yeah, yeah, yeah**  
Richard Marx - _The Way She Loves Me_

Thanksgiving Day

November 24, 2005

Pine Valley, PA

It was going to be another Erica Kane extravaganza. Half of Pine Valley would shortly be assembled in the huge dining room of the new mansion, enjoying a gourmet-prepared turkey dinner, washed down with lots of expensive wine. It would be the event of the season.

Until the next event Erica planned. Which would _not_be a wedding if Maggie had anything to say about it…

Before the hordes descended, everyone was relaxing. Miranda was napping with an attentive cast of family members parading through her specially-designed nursery, cooing, oohing and awing over the precious little girl. Maggie had never seen a child so doted over in her life. Add in that she was a Kane and the future seemed a little scary.

Suddenly, Bianca came blowing into the room, throwing the door shut behind her. "Kiss me," she blurted, walking right up to Maggie and taking the blonde's face in her hands. "Quick."

Before Maggie could even react, Bianca laid one on her, a hard, deep kiss pressed to her lips with no chance of escape. Yeah, right...

Maggie pulled away after a moment, a surprised yet satisfied look on her face. "What in the world prompted a lip-lock like that? Not that I'm complaining..."

"My mother."

Maggie stepped away quickly. "Excuse me?" she asked, considering now about complaining.

"You heard me, my mother."

"Man, Binks, do we have to have the whole Mood-killers talk again?"

Bianca sighed. "No, I just needed a moment of normalcy before I go back out there."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "What did she do now?"

"She still has this dreamy look on her face," Bianca said. Then she checked to see if anyone else was around, which, for some unknown reason since they were in their room, made Maggie follow suit. "Wedding," she whispered conspiratorially.

At that, Maggie visibly shuddered. "Oh, man, La Kane on the warpath... you do realize that we're in her cross hairs."

"I'm hoping by the time we leave for Paris again, she's forgotten about it."

"Sweetheart, your mother doesn't forget about anything. She's got the memory of an elephant..."

"You got that right."

Maggie dropped onto the chaise lounge in the corner of the room, pulling Bianca down next to her. "So, what's the next course of action?" she asked, brushing a lock of brunette hair off Bianca's cheek, her fingers lingering to caress.

"I guess we change the subject whenever it comes up," Bianca replied, leaning into Maggie's touch. "Avoid the subject at all cost. Maybe avoid my mother."

"Huh, I could get into that," Maggie murmured, leaning in to meet Bianca halfway. Their lips met and they both sighed, content in the gentle contact.

"Hey girls," Kendall called as she strolled into the room. "Oh, necking again, imagine that... dinner's ready."

Maggie touched her forehead to Bianca's. "Actually, we were talking, Kendall. If you used your powers for good, you'd learn some things."

"Necking, talking, same thing. Dinnertime." And with that, she swept out of the room as quickly as she'd entered.

"Why does it scare me that she's so calm every time she's barged in on us?" Bianca asked.

"It's scaring me, too."

"Freud would have a field day with this..."

Maggie snorted. "Freud would have a field day just trying to find her brain through all that curly hair," she cracked.

"Maggie!"

"What?"

"First sexdar, now Freud."

"Sorry," Maggie said sheepishly. "It's those stupid advanced psych classes."

"It's a good thing you're not going to be a psychologist then."

"Yeah, I don't think I'm very clinical..."

"Dinner!" Kendall shrieked down the long hallway.

Bianca grinned, ignoring Kendall's call. "No, you're much more physical..."

"I'll show you physical later. For now, time to eat." Before they exited the room, Maggie tugged on Bianca's hand, turning her around. "I love you, B."

"I love you, too, Mags." And Bianca pressed a gentle kiss to Maggie's lips. "Come on, before Kendall comes back. Or mom..."

Maggie made a face as she followed Bianca out of the room. "Yikes..."

-------------------------

With a little smile, Bianca looked around the huge dining room. It was filled with the usual cast of characters. Opal and Palmer sniping at each other over what foods Palmer could ingest. Lily with her ever-present notebook, which did cause Bianca's heart to skip a beat when she noticed the girl jotting something in there after coming into the room behind her and Maggie. Reggie to Maggie's left, Dani beside him, Derek, Simone, Greenlee and a very subdued, almost drugged, Ryan. Kendall, across from the two of them, eyeing Bianca and Maggie as a spider eyes dinner trapped in its web... Myrtle, holding court and seated to Erica's right. Jack taking the head of the table, as was fitting the head of the household. It was nice to be back.

Kendall gave her a devilish, scary, knowing grin.

Bianca sighed, suddenly she couldn't wait to be back in Paris...

Beneath the table, Maggie maintained a hand on Bianca's thigh, prompting Bianca to reach under and move that hand whenever it strayed, which, to both Bianca's chagrin and delight, was quite often. One more squeeze to the knee area and Bianca would leap completely out of her chair, spill her wine, choke on her stuffing or accidentally stab herself with her butter knife.

Damn, when Maggie fell in love, it was hard, fast and completely...

Maggie was going to keep her hand on Bianca if it was the last thing she ever did in her life. Being here, in this mansion, castle, Kendall's carnival fun house, she was going to hold tight to Bianca because the Kane-Montgomery clan could still scared the crap right out of her. And keeping hold of Bianca had its own special benefits... Of course, eating was quite the chore as she was right-handed, her right hand was planted securely on Bianca's thigh, and she was attempting to use her left hand to shovel food into her mouth.

As it was, Bianca couldn't keep her attention on the detailed description Erica was giving her on the building of the mansion, stables and sprawling grounds. Extremely detailed. _Mind-numbingly_ detailed... Okay, she was going to have to break that finger if it budged one more centimeter.

"And your Uncle Jack _loves_ the stables," Erica said conspiratorially to her, leaning close with the unwanted, unsolicited, yet completely freely offered details. "We've... taken advantage of them several times. You know, when we need to get away from the house..."

Bianca felt light-headed. "Oh, my God..." she murmured.

Maggie's ears perked up, she winked at Bianca and her hand subtlely moved.

Bianca jumped sky-high, bumping the table, rattling silverware, china and crystal. Kendall had to snatch a hand out to keep her wine glass from spilling its deep ruby contents on the pristine white linen tablecloth. Reggie's roll went flying. Bianca's hand clamped onto Maggie's as all conversation around them came to a dead stop, all eyes focused on one completely flustered Bianca Montgomery.

"Oh, my, Bianca. Are you alright, dear?" Erica asked, suddenly concerned, placing a mother's gentle hand on her arm.

"I'm fine-," she squeaked, then cleared her throat. "I'm fine, Mom..." She let go of Maggie's hand to reach over and give Maggie a pinch on the butt. "Quit it," she whispered.

"But you said God."

"I didn't mean it toward you."

Maggie gave her a sexy little grin. "You will later."

"You know, after this little stunt," Bianca leaned close to growl in Maggie's ear. "You may find yourself on the other end of that little dare."

"Oh... Bad Bianca gonna come out to play?"

"Bad Bianca?" Reggie asked, unable to help but overhear Maggie's statement as he reached for his roll. "Do I even want to know?"

Maggie opened her mouth to reply, only to have Bianca slap a hand over it before she could speak. "Never mind, Reggie." Then she looked at the blonde. "You even _think_ about licking my hand and you'll never see Bad Bianca ever again."

And that, in effect, shut Maggie up for the duration of the meal.

As dinner wound down and the tables were cleared, everyone slowly made their way to the library or the patio for a breath of fresh air. Pie and coffee would be served later, after the men watched the football game on TV and the women discussed... whatever Erica wanted to discuss. Bianca had a sudden fear that it would be something about weddings...

Maggie slipped off and grabbed Reggie by the arm. "Reggie, can I talk to you?" she asked, pulling him aside.

"But the game-." he protested.

"Reggie."

He gave her a weak grin. "Sure, what's up?"

"Why'd you have to go and explain to Lily was necking was?"

"Hey, Mags, she asked." He grinned at her for real this time. "And she said you told her to ask me."

"But I figured you might skate around the subject. You know, not actually giving her a straightforward answer."

"Maggie, you know how Lily is. She needs everything explained to her."

Maggie rolled her eyes, her head, practically her whole body. "Why did you have to explain it so well?"

"Look, she's always going to have questions. I mean just the other day she was asking me if Dani and I ever made it to second base."

Maggie grinned. "Well, Reggie? Did you?"

"Maggie, what do you think?"

"Well..." Suddenly, she held up a hand. "You know what? I don't want to know."

"Good, because I don't want to have to explain to Lily about you and Bianca."

"I think I'll leave that to Bianca."

Suddenly, Reggie smiled, a heartfelt smile that lit up his eyes and his face. "By the way," he said softly. "Thanks."

Maggie's brow furrowed in confusion. "For what?"

"Making that dream of mine come true. That it would be you and Bianca in the end."

Maggie smiled. "It took us awhile, but we finally got there."

"So Maggie, think you can answer a question for me?"

"I can try."

"Bad Bianca, what's that all about?"

Maggie grinned as her mind filled with images, scenes, memories. "Reggie, are you sure you want to hear this?" she asked him in all sincerity. Visions started coming fast and furious.

"Umm... uh..." Reggie stammered.

She patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, let's talk."

"You know what? I changed my mind. Don't want to know. Don't _need_ to know..."

"Rule number one. Never ever fall asleep while... uh... well, you know..."

"Aw, Maggie, you didn't." Reggie's shoulders slumped at the thought of his hero being quite so lame.

"Well, yeah… apparently, I did."

"Oh, man... I'm so disappointed in you."

"_You're_ disappointed? Think about what _I_ missed out on."

"Good point." Reggie grinned. "Man, Dani would kill me."

Maggie draped an arm over his shoulder, giving him an affectionate squeeze. "God, I've missed you."

Bianca brushed past them on her way to the library. "What, you're calling_him_ God now?" she asked on her way by.

Reggie looked at Bianca then Maggie, completely confused. "What?"

"Nothing!" Maggie exclaimed, tossing Bianca a pleading glance.

Reggie just shook his head. "The things I missed out on because the two of you live in Paris."

-----------------------

Bianca turned down her side of the bed, folding back the comforter and smoothing down the sheets. It was after eleven, the guests had finally left and the house was quiet. At least, Bianca and Maggie's wing was…

Time alone, finally.

"So, what was that with the hand about at the dinner table?" Bianca asked casually.

Maggie, dressed for bed in a pair of plaid sleep pants and a spaghetti strap tank top, nonchalantly turned down her side of the bed, studiously avoiding eye contact with Bianca. "Umm... I was restless?" she replied.

"Nice try. Talk."

"You said 'God' and I was trying to point it out to you."

"Oh, you pointed it out, all right. My mother almost caught us."

"We weren't doing anything wrong, you know. All I did was give you a little squeeze. _You're_ the one who almost came out of her chair." With a devilish grin, Maggie crawled across the bed toward Bianca. "It wasn't like I was," moving in closer, "kissing you," she leaned in, "like this." And Maggie caught Bianca's lips in a kiss, taking her time before pulling back.

Bianca sighed, her eyes still closed. "Oh, God..."

"Yes?"

Tangling together on the bed, Bianca kissed Maggie, pulling back and reaching up to brush blonde locks off her forehead. "You think we're alone?" she asked with a smile.

Maggie grinned, her hands slipping under Bianca's own tank top. "In this place? Huh, I doubt it." She tightened her arms around Bianca's waist, pulling her close. "Wanna live dangerously?"

"Well, Miranda's asleep, Reggie and Dani went out… I think Mom and Jack are… occupied."

Maggie squeezed her eyes shut at the unwanted vision. "Please stop." She reached up to find Bianca's lips again, but stopped suddenly, a fraction of an inch away. "Kendall."

Bianca reared back quickly. "Jeez, Mags," she said. "You're the one who keeps bringing up Mood-killers. Calling me by my sister's name has to be at the top of the list."

"No, no, no," Maggie replied, suddenly pushing Bianca onto her back and jumping off the bed. "She knows the secrets of this house of horrors. All the trap doors and the hidden passageways. I'm sure she has the one to our room labeled and mapped out already." She hurried over to the dresser and began pushing, using all her might to shove it toward the section of wall from which Kendall had materialized the previous day. "Will you help me?!"

The huge mahogany dresser moved an inch. Maggie turned and put her back against it, putting every ounce of strength she had into her legs, pushing hard to slide it further. No dice. Bianca sat and watched, trying not to burst out laughing, when Maggie turned again, her hands against the dresser, her feet running on the floor at light-speed while nothing moved.

Maggie stopped suddenly, looking at Bianca. She exhaled hard, blowing some hair out of her eyes. "Hey, you want a little Maggie tonight?" she asked in exasperation. Unable to reply, Bianca just nodded. "Then get your fantastic ass over here and help me."

Giggling, Bianca jumped off the bed and ran to Maggie's side. Between the two of them, they managed to push the heavy dresser a few feet, blocking the secret entrance completely, before Maggie grabbed Bianca's hand and hauled her back to the bed. They fell onto the soft mattress, arms, legs, sheets becoming entangled.

Finally, hoping they had just a little bit of privacy, they made love into the night.

"You know, Binks," Maggie murmured later, her lips glued again to their favorite spot, the pulse on Bianca's neck. "I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait to get back to the calm of Paris."

"So it's not just me."

"No, this place is crazy." Gently rolling onto her back, Maggie pulled Bianca into her arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I never realized just how bizarre this town really is."

"Maggie, if it weren't for this town…" Bianca's voice trailed off as she swept her hair back. "Well…"

"I know, I know. But that doesn't change the facts."

Bianca sighed, nuzzling her head onto Maggie's shoulder. "I love you, Maggie Stone."

"I love you, too, Bianca Montgomery."

"Aw, I love you guys!" Kendall's voice called from behind the dresser.

Bianca woke up early in the morning, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "Maggie, please tell me you brought the Levis?"

"Relax, they're right here."

"Oh, God..."

"Later, sweetie, later."

-----------------------------

November 27, 2005

Pine Valley, PA

Maggie sat Indian-style on the ground, picking at the leaves and twigs that caught in the grass in front of her, blown around by the cool November breeze.

"You know," she said softly, clearing her throat before continuing, "besides Bianca, you're the only person who has the ability to get me to come back to this place." She swallowed hard. "Jeez, Franks, I miss you. I never thought I'd ever say that, but I do." Glancing down, Maggie fingered the photo booth strip of pictures Bianca had given her on her first birthday in Pine Valley. The shots of Bianca and Frankie, taken so long ago, before the death, violence and destruction came. Her eyes strayed to Bianca's face, a finger gently touching the photo. Looking back up at the granite headstone in front of her Maggie laughed a little raggedly. "I miss you, Frankie, but, man, I'm so glad you're not here. I wouldn't want to have to fight you for Bianca. And I would fight you. I'd fight damn hard. Dirty, too."

Bianca stopped where she was behind the gate, not wanting to intrude on Maggie's time with her sister. And try as she might, she couldn't make herself stop listening. When Maggie first arrived in Pine Valley, she rarely, if ever, opened up to anyone. Over time, heartache and finally joy, she had been able to bridge those walls, free her heart and give her love without reservation. Bianca was overjoyed by that, in spite of the tremendous cost to them both. So, quietly, she stood back and gave Maggie some time.

"She's, uh, she's incredible," Maggie said softly then laughed at herself. "But you knew that already, didn't you? That's why you fell for her, too." She sighed, reaching up to pull a leaf off the granite by Frankie's name. "Sometimes I look at her and it takes my breath away." She blushed suddenly. "I gave her a ring, Frankie," she murmured, leaning close to the grave stone as if sharing a highly guarded secret. Suddenly, Maggie laughed, a real laugh of joy. "Seriously, sis, I gave her a ring. Me! I'm such a sap, you know? But I couldn't stop myself. I love her so much, I can't even imagine not being with her. And I just had to let her know…"

The breeze refreshed itself, tossing leaves around in a whirling dervish as the sunlight dappled through the branches of the tree above them. Maggie reached out a hand, brushing her fingers over Frankie's name.

"We had a rotten lot in life, Frankie, the way we grew up. But when I look back on it, if having it better meant I never would have found Bianca… I wouldn't change a minute of it. You found her first and I thank you for that. Thank you for helping me find my heart."

Bianca swallowed over the lump in her throat, quickly wiping the tears from her cheeks before making her presence known. And she did want to make her presence known, because, despite it all, Maggie still acted tough. With a little cough, she stepped through the cemetery gate.

The crunching of dried leaves behind Maggie alerted her to Bianca's approach and she quickly wiped her eyes, feeling her partner drop down beside her. Bianca put a gentle hand on Maggie's shoulder, kneeling on the ground at her side, her body leaning close for the contact. With a smile, she placed a singe rose on the gravestone.

"Hi, Frankie," she whispered, her fingers lingering a moment on the cold granite.

"I'll leave you alone for a bit, let you have some time with her," Maggie said softly. She pressed a kiss to Bianca's forehead then stepped away slowly, the leaves crunching underneath her feet.

Bianca brought her attention back to grave stone in front of her. "It's been a while," she sighed. "And a lot has happened. I'd be lying if I said I don't miss you, because I do." She sat down on the ground, the same way Maggie sat before, and contemplated her words. She battled with the lump forming in her throat and feelings that couldn't be put into words. "Your sister, she's um..." Bianca giggled trying to conjure up the words that would describe Maggie. "She's amazing. Yeah, she is. I don't know how else to describe her. Every day we're together, I just look at her and smile. I love her so much. I also want you to know that I loved you, too. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think back to the times we spent together, I'll always cherish those. But your sister, at the risk of sounding like the romantic sap that I am, she's everything to me. Maggie is my world. I've never met anyone in my life with so much love to give." She paused for a moment and laughed at the double meaning of her words. "We love each other and I hope you're smiling down on us right now, knowing that we're happy."

Reaching forward, Bianca's fingertips grazed the tomb stone as she traced the letters of Frankie's name.

A tear slipped down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. "Oh, Frankie, I wish you were here. I wish you and Maggie could be together again." Suddenly, she sighed. "I'm in love with her, Frankie. With everything that I have, I am in love with her. She means everything to me, she and Miranda."

A gentle breeze tossed Bianca's hair, causing a few strands to brush across her cheek. If she didn't know better, she would swear Frankie was standing beside her, teasing her with her touch. Bianca smiled, a gentle sigh breathing out of her. It wasn't the touch of a lover, it was the touch of a friend.

The gentle rustling of leaves behind her had Bianca looking up, her eyes alight as she watched Maggie walk up and settle down on the grass beside her. Their hands found each other of their own volition, fingers lacing together naturally. They leaned against each other, Maggie's head on Bianca's shoulder, Bianca resting her head on Maggie's.

"You realize, of course, that this is the only way we'd ever get her to listen to us," Maggie whispered.

Unable to stifle her giggle, Bianca nodded. "Yeah, I know. She's five times as stubborn as you are."

Maggie's mouth dropped open. "Me? Stubborn? No way."

"Oh, way," Bianca assured her with a laugh.

Slowly, they climbed to their feet, Maggie wiping her hands across her rear in self-consciousness. Her eyes locked on the headstone. Mary Francis "Frankie" Stone, it read, 4/26/82 – 11/27/01 Beloved Sister and Friend - In Our Hearts Forever.

"I don't know when I'll be back, sis," Maggie said softly, her voice hoarse, her eyes stinging with unshed tears, "but you'll always be with me."

"You ready to go?" Bianca asked gently, running a caressing hand through Maggie's hair and down to her shoulder.

Instead of answering, Maggie stepped into Bianca's arms, pulled her close and held on tight. Bianca hugs, she needed one of those desperately right now. She sighed when Bianca's arms pulled her in close, giving her strength and warmth. Her face turned into Bianca's throat and she breathed deeply of the crisp autumn air mingled with the fresh scent of Bianca, the apples in her shampoo, the spicy sweetness of her _Angel_ perfume, the coolness of her leather jacket. Running a hand through silken chocolate hair, Maggie turned her face up to the sky and felt a touch of warmth along her cheek. _I love you, too, Frankie_, she thought.

They headed back toward BJ's through the park, in search of nachos, strolling hand-in-hand. Maggie felt freer than she ever had before and mentally kicked herself in the ass for not allowing this to happen sooner. Imagine if she'd fought for Bianca when Lena was around. That Polish stick wouldn't have stood a chance. Of course, it only would have worked if Bianca had been willing to admit her feelings in return. Man, the heartache they could have avoided if they'd just been honest with each other. Just like some stupid soap opera where two characters danced around each other instead of just talking… So not like real life…

"So," Bianca said conversationally, "I noticed you're wearing a brand new pair of jeans."

Maggie grinned. "What? These?"

"When did you find the time to get a _new_ pair of 501's?"

"Well, considering what you did to my last pair, I thought I better stock up quick." She turned herself in circles, trying to catch a glimpse of her own rear end. "Do these look okay?"

Bianca chuckled throatily. "Oh, these look _better_ than okay…"

"And I have a jersey to show you later."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." Suddenly, Maggie stopped and pulled Bianca into her arms. "I thought we might see how it looks on you this time."

Bianca grinned, her arms holding Maggie tight. "You've seen me in your Rangers jersey," she reminded the blonde.

"Mmm, not the blue one. I think blue looks really good on you."

"You think anything looks good on me."

Maggie grinned sexily, kissing Bianca full on the lips, right in the middle of the park. In broad daylight. With people all around. "I especially think anything looks good on you when I take it _off_ of you…"

"Mm, you _are_ insatiable."

"Lucky you."

Bianca grinned, pressing her forehead to Maggie's. "Yeah, lucky me."

Laughing, Maggie caught Bianca's lips again, kissing her soundly. Bianca's lips parted, and Maggie quickly deepened the kiss, feeling Bianca respond in kind. Suddenly realizing where they were, they both started laughing, although their lips never strayed more than a centimeter apart. Still laughing, Maggie started backing Bianca toward a stand of trees, her mind quickly calculating the possibility of a little make-out session before Erica sent out a search party.

Feeling Maggie's hand slide under her jacket, Bianca giggled. "Maggie!" she shrieked with laughter, all the while allowing Maggie to take control of the situation.

"Bianca?"

As if a polar blast shot through the air, Bianca and Maggie froze then slowly parted. Turning to face the voice, both women were stunned for a moment then Maggie's face turned angry red.

"Babe," she breathed. The intense deadly look on her face spoke volumes. "Still sucking oxygen away from more deserving life-forms, I see."

"Maggie!" Bianca exclaimed again, though certainly not in the same playful tone she'd used earlier.

"What? You can still be mad at her too, you know." Never taking her eyes off her 'cousin', Maggie moved to stand protectively in front of Bianca, shielding her with her own body. "What do you want?" she snapped. When Babe made a move toward Bianca, Maggie nearly growled. "Don't even think about it."

Bianca slipped her arm around Maggie's waist from behind. "Maggie," she said softly. "Don't."

"Don't what, B? Give this bitch a piece of my mind?" Maggie's eyes never left Babe for a moment. Suddenly, everything she felt, everything she'd seen came flooding back to her. Bianca's heart being ripped out of her chest, her broken cry echoing through the halls of the hospital when she thought Miranda was gone, her confusion, depression, turmoil. "She deserves it," she said darkly.

"Maggie, sweetie, it's okay. Let it go. I've moved past this. I'll never, ever forgive Babe, but life has gone on for me."

Maggie stood stoically, her gaze never wavering. Babe's heart began to stutter in her chest, suddenly aware she was totally outmatched by the smaller woman. "Well, it hasn't gone on for me," Maggie ground out through gritted teeth. "I never got my closure." She glanced back at Bianca for a moment. "Until now… And she's never getting any forgiveness from me, either. She kept your baby from you and she... she took so much away from me. I have something to say to her."

"No, Maggie," Bianca urged softly. "Don't"

"No, I want to do this. She hasn't heard what I have to say." Maggie leaned forward confrontationally, ready to do battle. "And now it's my turn."

The anger that flashed in Maggie's eyes was something to behold and it shook Babe yet again. A calmness more frightening than anything she'd ever seen settled over Maggie, almost causing Babe to turn and flee before the storm let loose its fury. Maggie's eyes locked on Babe's.

"You coward," she said, her tone even, measured, cold. "You lying, manipulative deceiving, heartless coward. How did you do it? Day after day, how did you look her in the eye and lie to her? You called her your best friend. You LIED to your best friend! Oh, that's right, you _claimed_ to be Bianca's best friend. You pretended to be my friend, too! And you still lied! How did you know when one lie ended and the next one began? And to think I let you set foot in my house when you knew. You knew the whole time that Miranda was alive!"

Babe swallowed. "Maggie… I…"

Maggie took one menacing step forward. "Oh, no, you don't get to speak. You just shut up and listen to me. All your cryptic little comments. You _knew_ Bianca felt a connection with that child. You saw it. You _encouraged_ it!"

"Mags," Bianca whispered soothingly from behind her. "Come on, I think that's enough."

"Binks, that's not near enough. I've been waiting 11 months to say this."

"Say what, Maggie?" Babe cut in, finally finding her courage. "Go ahead and say it because it's probably nothing I haven't heard already."

Maggie snorted in derision. "Oh, please, don't give me that martyr act, Babe. Everything that's been said has been deserved. You should have to hear it every day for the rest of your miserable life. You had your son, Babe, you knew he was alive. And still you kept Miranda from her mother. You must be one sick, twisted individual to be able to live with yourself day in and day out, knowing what you knew." Maggie took a deep breath, reaching out to poke Babe in the chest with her finger, driving home her point. "So let me just add a little something to what you've already heard. You don't deserve friends. You don't deserve your son. You don't deserve anything except the misery you've had to live in since you very nearly destroyed Bianca's life. And your mother and father can join in that misery with you."

Tears glittered in Babe's eyes as Maggie's tirade wore down. She swallowed hard and glanced beseechingly at Bianca, then back to Maggie. "I know what I did was wrong, Maggie," she murmured. "And I do have to live with that every day of my life."

"That's right, you do," Maggie snapped. The urge to slap Babe was overwhelming, but Maggie didn't want to do that in front of Bianca. Besides, she was terribly afraid it wouldn't exactly be a slap when it happened… "You unbelievable bitch."

"The rings are beautiful," Babe said suddenly, startling both Bianca and Maggie, her eyes jumping back and forth from Maggie's hand to Bianca's. "I'm happy for you. I always knew-."

"Shut up," Maggie growled. "You don't get to comment on our lives. You don't get to feel anything for us. This is happiness, Babe. This is something you will never have."

"Okay, Maggie," Bianca said soothingly, sensing the storm had finally abated. "I think that's enough."

"Even you couldn't ruin that for us," Maggie said softly. "Others may be able to look past your sins and forgive you for them, but not me. Not now, not ever." Giving Babe one last disgusted look, Maggie took Bianca's hand in hers. "Now, it's enough," she said firmly. "Let's go home to our daughter."

Leaving Babe standing broken in the middle of the park, Maggie led Bianca away, down the footpath, toward a familiar spot. Bianca reached out with her other hand, catching hold of Maggie's wrist.

"Maggie, honey," she said softly. "Where did all that come from?"

Sighing, Maggie slowed and turned to Bianca. "B, I never got to say that. I never had the chance to tell Babe how I felt, how her actions affected me How watching what she did to you almost killed me. That's been building for a long time."

Bianca smiled in spite of it all. "Remind me never to get on your bad side. I'd hate to see what you're like if someone ever left the toilet seat up."

Finally, Maggie grinned somewhat ruefully. "Trust me, you don't want to. Jamie's seen it."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah, it was worse than what you just saw."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I seriously doubt you'll ever leave the toilet seat up, Binks."

"I know, I was just saying."

Laughing, they hurried down the walking path and burst through the trees. Like an old reliable friend, the boathouse stood before them. A little more weathered than they both remembered, but still standing strong. Slowly, Maggie led Bianca up the steps and to the bench they'd shared on many occasions.

"Okay," she said with a grin. "Time to right a few wrongs."

"Finally!" Bianca exclaimed, knowing exactly what Maggie meant. "Do you know how long I have wanted to kiss you here?!"

"I'm sorry for making you wait."

"You should be. Think back on all that wasted time, Stone."

"So, how would you like me to make it up to you?"

"Just shut up and kiss me."

"You know, the bossy bit I like. But think you can put that on hold until we get somewhere warm? 'Cause really, hypothermia... not very enticing."

Bianca pouted. "Oh, okay..."

"But you can still kiss me."

Looking up from where she was scuffing her shoe on the faded boards of the boathouse, Bianca grinned. "Mmm, come here," she murmured, pulling Maggie close, their lips colliding sweetly.

It didn't take long for the kiss to slip from a moment of fun to an expression of love and desire. Maggie raised herself up on one knee on the bench, cradling Bianca's face in her hands, leaning over to kiss her again. Bianca, finally living out a dream she'd harbored in her heart for so long, let Maggie have the lead, her hands slipping inside Maggie's jacket to grip her waist.

When Maggie finally pulled back, Bianca followed, kissing her again before nuzzling her face into the crook of Maggie's neck. "I've missed this place," she whispered, smiling against Maggie's skin when she felt arms sliding around her shoulders to hold her close.

"I know it's not really the same," Maggie said, a gentle hand in Bianca's hair. "But we have our balcony back home."

"We do, but you're right, it's still not the same. So much happened here..."

"Let's not discuss the whole 'I'm into guys' thing, please?"

That made Bianca laugh, "Okay, you're right, Paris is better."

They held each other for a long time, the warmth they generated together more than enough to sustain them as the day grew cooler. Hands held tightly, fingers remained entwined, hearts beat together. Maggie pressed a kiss to Bianca's forehead, reveling in the feel of the smooth, warm skin beneath her lips. Bianca nestled closer, gently rubbing her nose against Maggie's neck, chuckling to herself when she heard Maggie suck in her breath at the ticklish feel.

"Come on, B," Maggie whispered finally. "Let's head back before your mom decides to call out the bloodhounds to find us."

Bianca sighed softly. "Hey, Maggie?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I know."

Silence. "Okay, not exactly the response I was hoping for."

Maggie laughed. "I love you, too, Bianca. I really do."

"That's better."

At Bianca's insistence, they stopped at BJ's for a plate of nachos with extra hot sauce before returning to Casa Kane. It was a unique experience for them both, finally appearing as a couple in Pine Valley, comfortable in who and what they were. Well, it was no surprise to the people who saw them there, to those who watched them for 4 torturous years as they danced around each other in an excruciating fandango. It's like the whole town finally sighed with relief.

It was quite a fun way to kick off the holiday season…

Maggie tossed some bills on the table, grinning as Bianca pulled on her coat. "You know, if we hurry, we may be able to take advantage of the stables again before Erica starts to wonder where we are."

"Oh, Maggie," Bianca replied, with a shake of her head. "I can still hear her telling me about how she and… she and… Uncle Jack…" She visibly shuddered, from her head to her toes. "I don't know…"

"Okay, come on." Taking Bianca's hand, Maggie started for the door. "Time to exorcize a few demons."

"I think the only way to exorcize _these_ demons is to burn down the stables and start over," Bianca muttered.

Maggie laughed. "I'll bet I can think of something better."

Holding hands, they started for the entrance, their destination in mind. Suddenly, the door swung open and they stopped dead in their tracks.

"Aw, crap!" Maggie exclaimed. "Twice in one day!!" She turned to Bianca. "And we wonder why we didn't want to come back here."

"Maggie…"

"Get out of my face, David," she snapped at her cousin. "I have absolutely nothing to say to you."

Holding up his hands, David Hayward tried to appeal to his young cousin, a woman he had taken under his wing, loved like a daughter, mentored. Betrayed. "Maggie, let me talk."

Well, that was the wrong thing to say. The bulldog rose up in Maggie again and she literally vibrated with her anger and indignation. "Kiss my ass, David," she instructed him, pulling Bianca behind her as they made their way around the man standing in their way. "And go to hell while you're at it."

David reached out and grabbed Maggie by the arm. "Maggie-."

Maggie spun on David so fast that he had to take a quick step backwards. "I highly suggest," she said in such a dangerous tone that even Bianca looked startled, "that you remove your hand right now otherwise you'll be drawing back a bloody stump."

"I need to talk to you, Maggie. I need-."

"That's funny, David, how this is about what you need. How about what I need? What Bianca needs? What we _needed_ when you were out saving the day for Babe? Forget it. I'm not interested. Stay away from me. Stay away from Bianca. Just… stay away."

Brushing past the good doctor, Maggie pulled Bianca out of BJ's and away from yet another confrontation. Bianca tried desperately not to grin at Maggie's stubbornness, her protective streak. She loved bigger than anyone Bianca had ever known.

"You know," she said, grabbing Maggie's jacket to slow her down. "I never had my own pit bull before."

Maggie slowed down, suddenly aware of her anger. She sighed. "Sorry about that," she said sheepishly.

"Oh, no, don't apologize, it's really quite endearing. A girl could get used to this."

"Okay, so I have a bit of a white knight complex. I'll admit it." She shrugged. "Maybe I am a little stubborn."

"Hmm, Maggie Stone a little stubborn. That's like saying Erica Kane is a little bit interesting."

"Oh, I'll show you interesting…"

They practically ran back to the mansion and to the stables. This time, Maggie followed Bianca up the ladder, returning the bite to the butt she'd gotten on their first visit to the hayloft. Before they had even stumbled into a freshly tossed pile of hay, they were lost in the sensation of each other. Laughing, shrieking, talking…

Neither had seen the young blonde girl with her ever-present notebook trailing them from the moment they had returned to the mansion's manicured grounds, stopping outside the stable doors when they went careening headfirst inside and up the ladder.

Later, after they had left, still pulling hay from each other's hair, Lily hurried into the stables, running into Kendall as she stumbled out of the tack room.

"Kendall?" Lily asked in confusion.

_Oh, my God_, Kendall thought to herself, her face pale, her hands trembling. _Did I just listen to all that?_ "Damn this power I have!" she exclaimed. "Damn it!"

Lily was consulting her notebook. "Kendall?" she repeated. "Why did I hear noises?"

Kendall almost choked. "Um, it's nothing, Lily…"

"But it was Bianca and Maggie. They were making noises. And talking funny."

Kendall stood there for another long, uncomfortable moment. "Go ask Reggie," was all she could manage.

"Are you sure?"

"More sure of that than I am of wanting to be the one to answer those questions..."

Lily shrugged. "Okay." She started to skip away.

"Lily, wait!" Kendall called out. "On second thought, go ask Maggie and Bianca. It's their turn." Kendall shuddered again. "I need a shower…"

-----------------------------

_Okay, there's one really good thing about this estate Erica owns_, Maggie thought during her morning jog as she saw the mansion looming ahead of her. _I think I've run 10 miles and never left the grounds._ Then she grinned to herself. _Okay, the stables makes it two really good things…_

When she finally arrived at the kitchen, Maggie opened the Sub-Zero and pulled out a bottle of water, gulping half of it down before even taking a breath. Of course, now she wanted a croissant or pain au chocolat to go with it but there was nothing like that to be found anywhere. With a sigh, she leaned against the granite counter-top and sipped her water, straining to hear even a minute sound from anywhere in the massive home.

The kitchen door swung open and Bianca entered.

"Hey!" Maggie exclaimed, brightening up instantly.

"Oh, shit," Bianca replied, turning on her heel quickly to escape the knowing look in Maggie's eyes.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no," Maggie said, jumping after Bianca and grabbing her by the wrist. "Get your ass over here." She pulled her back to the counter. "It's been almost a week. I've had to see both Babe _and_ David. This is my reward."

"Oh, okay," Bianca sighed. Although she really wasn't protesting all that much. Grinning mischievously, she let Maggie hop onto the counter before she leaned in with a kiss. "So, how was your run?"

Maggie grinned, her lips against Bianca's. "Okay, I guess. It's the cool down I'm enjoying right now."

"Mm, me, too."

Maggie pulled Bianca close, settling into the kiss naturally. Bianca slid her arms around Maggie's waist, realizing she was actually necking with her girlfriend in her mother's house. She tried hard not to giggle at that, but Maggie's lips on hers didn't help matters any.

_Oh, what the hell_, she thought to herself as she fell headlong into the kiss. _I've waited my whole life for this. It's my time…_

With a soft moan, Bianca pulled Maggie closer, kissed her deeper, held her tighter. Maggie responded in kind, a chuckle deep in her throat as she slid her hands into Bianca's hair, holding her close to take control. It still amazed her how good a kisser Bianca was, how she knew exactly how much to give and how much to take. How soft her lips were, how sweet she tasted…

_Oh, yeah_, Maggie thought as she deepened the kiss further. _I am __**such**__ a guy…_

The kitchen door blew open and in swept Kendall and Erica, discussing flower arrangements or financial disclosures or something like that, freezing Maggie and Bianca in their current position. Maggie actually wondered if they stayed absolutely still long enough would they even be noticed at all by the two dueling divas.

Yeah, right...

Kendall shrieked almost instantly. "This isn't a power! It's a curse!!" she exclaimed, slapping her hands over her eyes.

Bianca blushed violently. "Oh, Lord, not my mother, please…" she muttered, her face burrowing deep into Maggie's neck in embarrassment.

"Sorry, sweetie," Maggie whispered, wrapping her arms protectively around Bianca's shoulders. "Damn this kitchen…"

"Oh, my," Erica murmured appreciatively. "Now, why didn't _I_ think of sitting on the counter…"

TBC- Home to Paris


	3. The Bet

A/N: Angst-free chapter ahead.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters Bianca, Maggie, Miranda or any other from the ABC daytime drama All My Children. I sure wish I did, though...

_**I don't want to ride on the shotgun side  
Don't want to be a quaint observer on this super sonic ride  
Double down split the aces to the races  
I feel lucky tonight**_

Melissa Etheridge - _Lucky_

Chapter 3 – "The Bet"

Paris, France

End of November, 2005

Maggie sat bolt upright, her breath coming in choppy gasps, strands of hair pasted to her forehead with sweat. Looking around frantically, her surroundings finally came into view and she fell back onto the bed, her relief evident. Home. They were back home. In Paris. Where they belonged.

Closing her eyes and letting the jet lag weigh her body down again, Maggie sighed. She rolled over and threw an arm across Bianca's waist, pulling her close, burrowing her nose into the silky dark hair.

"Maybe it was all just a bad dream," she muttered. "Yeah, that's what it was, a bad dream..."

"It was real," Bianca mumbled in response. "Very, very real..."

-------------------------------

Pine Valley, PA

November 28, 2005

"Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me," Lily said as she adjusted her posture and opened her ever-present notebook. She pointed her pen down at the page. "I just have a couple of questions for the two of you. If that's okay."

Bianca and Maggie sat on the loveseat across from the young girl, trying their hardest not to squirm under her intense scrutiny. Bianca was having an easier time of it than Maggie, the blonde's knee was bouncing up and down in 4/4 time. Bianca clamped her hand down on the over-active leg, which caused Maggie to jump several inches off the sofa at the contact. Her hand came down on top of Bianca's and gripped hard, holding it comfortingly- desperately- in place.

"That's perfectly fine, Lily," Bianca said with a gentle smile. "We'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"Bianca...," Maggie whined under her breath. That earned her an elbow to the ribs.

Lily checked her list. "First question, why do you two like necking so much?"

"Oh..." Bianca sat back in surprise.

"Oh, God," Maggie groaned.

"Maggie, not now."

"I have a question about that, too," Lily said innocently, checking her list. "But I'll ask it later."

"Goodie…" Maggie muttered.

"Um, well," Bianca began, giving Maggie's hand a warning squeeze. "You know how good kissing feels, right, Lily?"

"Yeah, I like to do that with Sam."

"Well, I like to do that with Maggie. I like how it feels."

"Me, too," Maggie managed in a strangled tone. "I mean, I like to do that with Bianca."

"Which leads to my second question."

"Oh, no..."

Bianca elbowed Maggie again. "Yes?"

"I heard Reggie and Kendall laughing about how the two of you like to neck in the kitchen. Why do you two like to neck in the kitchen?"

Maggie started to get up but Bianca grabbed her arm and yanked her back down. "Well..."

"It's okay, I'm very patient. You can take your time answering."

"Maggie?" Bianca said with a little grin. "Would you like to take this one?"

"Um, no, Bianca," Maggie replied, shooting her a deadly glance. "Actually, I wouldn't."

"No, please. Go ahead."

_I'm going to get you for this_, she mouthed at the brunette. Bianca returned her look with a beatific smile. "Okay, um, well…" Maggie stammered, turning back to the young girl. "You see, Lily… when we're in the kitchen, I can be taller than Bianca."

Lily looked very confused. "I don't understand how that could be possible. You should be the same height in every room."

"Oh, ha-ha, no, I mean… in the kitchen, I can- I can sit… on the counter… which makes me taller… than Bianca." Maggie felt like she was being grilled by the CIA's best agent. She could feel a drop of sweat making its way down her temple. _Please, if there is a God, there will be no follow-up question…_

"And you like to be taller than Bianca."

_Okay, not technically a question…_ "Sometimes, yeah."

"Okay, I guess that makes sense."

"Lily, how many more questions do you have?" Maggie asked, swiping at the thin sheet of sweat that had formed on her forehead.

"Oh, not too many more. We'll be done soon."

"Good," Maggie muttered.

"So, Lily, now that you know about necking and why Maggie and I like the kitchen... what else would you like to know?" Bianca tried to keep things as upbeat and innocent as possible. She could only hope the next question didn't involve the stables.

Checking off the list on her page, Lily looked up, "I saw the two of you running toward the stables the other day. In fact, you did that a lot while you were here."

_Crap…  
_

"Oh, umm, oh…"

"God," Maggie muttered.

"One day, I saw Kendall stumbling out. She looked really upset."

"Kendall?" Maggie whispered. "Damn her power."

"And I heard noises. Lots of noises."

"Oh, crap."

"Bianca, are you religious? Because I heard you saying 'God'... a lot." That comment made Maggie snicker and bump Bianca's shoulder with hers. Lily turned her eyes to her. "You were doing it too, Maggie."

Maggie jolted, her eyes popping wide open. "I was?" Bianca lowered her head and chuckled softly at the stunned look on Maggie's face. "Uh…"

"Yeah," Lily nodded. "So, what is it you do in the stables? Does it have something to do with God?" Now, both Bianca and Maggie were stunned into silence. Maggie's jaw had dropped and she gaped openly, resembling a goldfish that had flopped out of its bowl. "I guess you're not going to answer my question," Lily said, making a mark in her notebook. She sighed. "Maybe Kendall knows because she was coming out of the tack room and I asked her what happened and what the noises were and she told me to ask Reggie but then she told me to ask you two because it's your turn." And then Lily smiled her innocent smile.

Both Bianca and Maggie contemplated the question, Maggie discretely wiping the sweat off her forehead as she glanced at her partner. Bianca kept her eyes lowered, afraid of making eye contact with Maggie and what she might see reflected on the blonde's face.

"Answer the question!" Kendall yelled from the hallway.

"Okay, I'm killing her before we flee the country," Maggie muttered under her breath, just enough for Bianca to hear.

"We're not _fleeing the country_, Maggie."

"We will be after I kill her."

"You're going to kill Kendall?" Lily asked innocently, obviously having overheard. "Um, Maggie, that's a crime."

"She was joking, Lily," Bianca assured the younger girl, giving Maggie a dirty look.

"No, I wasn't," Maggie muttered.

Bianca tossed another elbow at Maggie's ribs. "Um, what was the question again?" she asked her young step-sister.

"Why do you like the stables so much and what does it have to do with God?" Lily repeated patiently.

Suddenly, Bianca wished she hadn't asked. "Well, it is a religious experience," she heard Maggie crack under her breath, which actually made her grin.

"What kind of religious experience?" Lily asked, obviously having heard that as well.

"Oh, hey, I think I hear Miranda calling out my name!" Maggie shot up from the couch so quickly that Bianca didn't have a chance to grab her, racing out of the library fast enough to leave a vapor trail._Ha! Escape! That was close but I know I'm going to pay for it later._

_Oh, Maggie, you are going to pay later_. Bianca turned her attention back to Lily. _Oh, jeez, how do I answer this and not actually explain anything?_ "It's complicated, Lily. And if I even tried to explain it, we'd be here all day."

"Can you at least try? Because I really need the answer in order to understand everything that's been going on."

Bianca sighed. She certainly didn't expect to have to give the whole 'when two people love each other' speech until she was giving it to Miranda. On her wedding day. "Okay, well, um..." She paused for a moment, realizing she was using her hands an awful lot while she spoke. Finally, she took a breath. "Well, Lily, when two people love each other-," _Oh, God, I've become my mother_. "-they will express that love with- when- well, it starts with kissing. And then... the kissing leads to- how do I put this..."

"Is this about sex?" Lily asked suddenly. "Because I already know about sex. We had a film at school in health class."

"Oh." Bianca blinked. "Well, yes, it is about sex."

"So, you were having sex." Lily made another mark in her notebook, seemingly un-phased by the fact that Bianca and Maggie had been practicing a _very_ healthy sexual relationship for most of their stay. "Okay, well I just have one more question."

"Alright, what is it?"

"Reggie mentioned how happy he was the other night. He said his dream finally came true. I asked him what his dream was and all he told me was that he always believed it would be the two of you in the end. What does he mean by that? The two of you together in the end? He would always say that about Dad and Erica. Now he's saying it about you and Maggie. Are the two of you together as in like a couple?"

"Yes, Lily, that's what Reggie meant. And that's what has happened. Maggie and I are a couple. We're going to spend our lives together and raise Miranda together. We love each other the way my mom and your dad love each other."

Lily smiled. "That sounds sweet."

"It is, Lily, it really is."

"Well, that's all my questions. Thanks for answering them."

"You're welcome, Lily."

Flipping her notebook shut, Lily started to skip out of the library, a satisfied look on her face. She stopped at the door. "I still don't understand the stuff about God, though." With that, she shrugged and disappeared out into the hallway.

Maggie stuck her head back in the room. She was holding Miranda's hand, the child toddling along beside her. "Is she gone yet?"

"Yes," Bianca replied, coming over to sweep Miranda into her arms. "And you are soooo dead for that little stunt."

"Sorry," Maggie said softly, her head dipping in shame.

"Too late, Tiger," Bianca said, kissing her hard on the lips when she looked up again. Still holding Miranda, she turned her back and headed toward their bedroom. "I'm already thinking up ways to get you back."

Back in Paris, France

Late November, 2005

"Too late, Tiger," Bianca mumbled in her sleep. "Mmm, come here, Tiger..."

Maggie raised her head off her pillow, giving Bianca a perplexed look. "Binks?"

"My little Tiger..."

"Oh, God..."

Bianca smiled in her sleep. "Yes?"

-----------------------------------

As November passed into December their first Christmas as a family neared. Maggie, while back in class and preparing for finals, had taken it upon herself to see that this Christmas, as opposed to the last one they had managed to live through, was the best they had ever celebrated. In her spare time, she decorated the apartment, shopped for the perfect gifts and generally embraced the holiday spirit.

Unfortunately for Bianca, the nearing of the end of the calendar year meant a surge in her workload. The fiscal quarter was coming to a close and stockholders wanted to see large dividends being added to their net worth. Bianca was finding that her days became longer and longer, keeping her from her girls a little bit more each day. When she would arrive home, she'd spend as much time with Miranda as she could before the little girl went to bed for the night. Then she and Maggie would spend the rest of the evening and night together, catching up on each others days, making love or just holding each other while watching a movie in the den.

Many evenings they spent in the bedroom, Maggie studying relentlessly for her finals, Bianca going over reports, proposals or budget projections. Too many times, Maggie had to pry the folder out of Bianca's hands after she'd fallen asleep, only to have Bianca bring a halt to Maggie's studying by immediately curling up against Maggie's side, nestling in as closely as possible and wrapping herself around the blonde. And snoring.

Then there were the times when all attempts at studying/work flew right out the window. A glance, a brush of fingers on skin, the warm scent of perfume, any type of distraction. A text book would hit the floor with a thud, a file folder would go spinning through the air, the papers inside floating gently to the floor like snowflakes in its wake and they were beneath the covers, reconnecting with each other once more.

Those were the nights Maggie lived for. And she stubbornly made no apologies for her overwhelming desire for Bianca. And she'd never known such desire before; certainly it had never existed in her young life before Bianca. And the pleasure they shared, again something she had never known and she was certain she never would have known it with anyone else. She had held herself back for too long, thinking she didn't know where she stood, how she felt, what she felt for Bianca. Once she admitted her love, passion and desire, she promised herself that she'd never hold back ever again.

So she didn't.

Maggie was mature enough to admit one thing, she had the hots for Bianca and that was never going to change.

-----------------------------

Paris, France

December 8, 2005

It was another late night for Bianca at the office, so Maggie and Miranda spent the evening together, having dinner and watching _The Incredibles _on DVD. Once the movie ended, Maggie picked up the not-quite-asleep little girl and headed for the nursery. She changed Miranda and dressed her for bed, then picked her up once more.

"How about a bedtime story?" she said, settling into the rocking chair with Miranda on her lap. "What do you think, sweetie? Dr. Seuss or Elmo?"

"Ehmo," Miranda replied, reaching for book with the furry red Muppet on the cover.

"Okay," Maggie said with a grin, setting aside _Green Eggs and Ham_ and opening the Elmo book about love. Miranda settled in, leaning into Maggie's warm body, her head resting securely against Maggie's shoulder. The cat, happy to finally have them back home and to be out of lock-up at the vets, leapt onto the dresser behind the chair, green eyes watchful over the back to the rocker. Maggie grinned and shook her head. "You and Elmo, Munchie, there's a serious love affair going on there."

"Ehmo!" Miranda squealed. "Ehmo, 'Aggie!"

"I know, I know. Okay, I'll start reading now."

Turning to the first page, Maggie read to the little girl of Elmo and his descriptions of love. Occasionally, Miranda would reach out and brush her fingers against the fabric glued to the pages, or point to Elmo and giggle.

"Ehmo," Miranda sighed with a yawn. She looked up at Maggie then giggled. "Kitty…"

Maggie glanced over her shoulder at the cat. "Yes, Kitty," she repeated, thinking they really needed to name the animal. "Elmo talked about loving your pet, didn't he? And loving your mommy and your friends…"

Somehow, Maggie's mind jumped the tracks and the topic veered from Elmo and love to Bianca and… well, the culmination of love…

"She makes me crazy, Miranda, she really does. I mean, she's perfect in every way. But you already know that, because you're part of her and you're perfect, too." Maggie sighed. "But I mean, really, she's _perfect_. She knows how to talk to me, how to kiss me, how to touch me…You know, Munchkin, this whole thing with your mom, I just can't seem to get enough of making lo-." Maggie stopped suddenly, realizing where this was conversation was rapidly headed. "Ha ha, you know what, honey? Never mind. I will not be the one to put you into therapy. That's Grandma Erica's job."

"Gammaw!" Miranda giggled. "Feepey!"

"Yes," Maggie said, giggling with the child. "Grandma and therapy."

"Feepey!"

Maggie carried Miranda over to her crib. "Now, Munchie, don't say those two words in front of your mother or she'll kill me. Okay?"

"Okay, 'Aggie," Miranda answered solemnly, as if she understood every word.

"Okay, Munchkin, give me a kiss." Miranda pressed a kiss to Maggie's cheek. With a smile, Maggie settled the little girl into her crib, pulling the blanket up over her, making sure her little Elmo doll was tucked under her arm. She brushed back Miranda's hair and smiled. "Good night, sweetie."

"Feepey…" Miranda replied sleepily, finally falling off into dreamland.

Maggie snorted, unable to hold back the laugh at Miranda's words. _Get used to that word, kiddo_, she thought as she turned out the light and slipped into the master suite. Changing into her sleep pants and a tank top, she settled down on the bed and opened her text book, resigned to getting some studying done before Bianca got home.

Time dragged by. S..l..o..w..l..y... So excrutiatingly slow at one point, Maggie grabbed her bedside clock and shook it to make sure it was still working. It was. Words blurred together on the page she was reading for the 8th time. If she read about subendocardial anterior myocardial infarction one more time, she'd suffer one herself. Trying to rein in her frustration level, she thumped her head back against the heavy mahogany headboard of the bed a couple of times.

"Jeez, Binks," she muttered, glancing at the bedside clock for what must have been the 1,000th time. "When the hell are you getting home? I need a study break..." She yawned. "I need a Bianca special..."

Stretching, Maggie yawned once more, then closed her eyes, promising herself it would only be for a moment before returning to the text in front of her.

The next thing she knew, it was morning. Bianca was beside her sleeping peacefully, her lips against Maggie's throat, arm across her waist to hold her close. Maggie's textbook was on the floor, she was under the covers and she still had her clothes on.

"What the-!" Maggie whispered. "Oh, man! She never even woke me up!" Bianca was wrapped around her, head on her shoulder, face nestled against her throat. "Oh, crap," she muttered, her hands fisting in the sheet to keep from burying themselves in Bianca's hair and hauling her up for a kiss.

"Mags?" Bianca murmured, her breath causing goose bumps to rise on Maggie's skin.

"Man..." She kicked at the bed with both feet for a moment in a classic little mini-tantrum then gripped the sheets again after Bianca's hand slid under her tank top. When Bianca nuzzled closer, Maggie leapt from the bed. "Shit, shit, shit," she grumbled, quickly changing into her running clothes and stomping out of the apartment. She wondered how far it was to Belgium.

After her run, which helped not one iota, Maggie returned to the apartment and found Miranda wide awake and Bianca still dead to the world. Before taking the baby down to the kitchen for breakfast, Maggie took a moment to close Bianca's mouth before she drooled a puddle onto her pillow.

Miranda was in her highchair and Maggie was stomping around the kitchen when Bianca swept in not too much later, pulling Maggie's blue Rangers jersey on over her own tank top.

"Hey there, Tiger," she said cheerily, pressing a kiss to Maggie's cheek. "Mm, that was wonderful," she sighed as she settled at the kitchen table. "Eight full hours of sleep..."

"Yeah, right," Maggie grumbled, pouring some orange juice for both Miranda and Bianca. She practically slammed the glass down in front of the brunette. "Good morning," she snapped.

Bianca frowned in confusion. "And a good morning to you, too, Grumpy," she replied.

"Don't call me Grumpy." Maggie yanked open the silverware drawer and extracted a spoon for Bianca's coffee, then shoved the drawer shut hard. She slammed the spoon down on the table in front of Bianca. "You know where the cream is."

Bianca gave her a look. "Okay. Good morning, Ms. Not in the Mood."

"Oh, you have no idea...," Maggie muttered under her breath. "I was sooo freakin' in the mood..."

Smiling at her daughter, Bianca gave Maggie a sideways look. "Miranda, 'Aggie seems grumpy, don't you think?"

"Gumpy!" the baby crowed.

"Please don't get her started."

"What?"

"Nothing!"

"Feepey!" Miranda crowed. Maggie blushed. Bianca eyed them both.

"No duh, kiddo," Maggie muttered, turning away quickly.

"Okay, what is your problem?" Bianca asked after Maggie slammed the silverware drawer again.

"Nothing," Maggie growled. She stomped to the table and sat down. In an instant, she was back up and stalking to the fridge. Back to the table. Over to the counter and the fruit bowl. She snatched up an apple and took an angry bite. Then she stalked back to the table and threw herself down hard in her chair.

"Okay, is it because I came home late last night?" Bianca asked from across the table.

"You didn't wake me up."

"Wake you up? When? This morning? Maggie, I thought you said you didn't need me to wake you up. That's what the alarm clock is for." Bianca was confused. "And you got up before me anyway..."

"Last night," Maggie growled again. "You didn't wake me up when you got home last night."

"Mags, it was late. I was tired."

"Too tired to wake me up to say, 'Hi honey, I'm home'? Did it even occur to you that I may want to know you made it home safely?"

Bianca looked at Maggie, realization dawning on her instantly. "Oh, my God! You're mad because we didn't make love last night!"

"Bianca, this isn't the time..."

"I was _not_ mistaking you for God!"

"You_would_ have if you'd have woken me up when you got home last night!"

"Maggie," Bianca sighed resignedly, "I don't think you want to be making love to me after I've been at that big, stupid desk, crunching numbers all day, trying to please investors and then having to work late only to find out I wasted my time doing that."

Maggie focused on only one thing Bianca said. "Did you say _big_ desk?"

"See! All you think about is sex, sex, sex..." Bianca got up and went to the refrigerator.

Maggie shook her head, wiping the image she had there away. "I do not."

Bianca gave Maggie an 'oh, really?' look and opened the refrigerator to check its contents. "Oh, strawberries."

"Whipped cream," Maggie responded automatically.

Bianca's head appeared over the refrigerator door. "See?"

"What?" Maggie argued. "Cool Whip tastes great with strawberries. And there's also strawberry short cake."

"You're thinking about eating them in bed, Maggie," Bianca replied patiently.

"So? What if I am?" She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest.

"Your mind needs to get out of bed and focused on other things."

"I am. I'm focused on you."

"Yeah, me in bed! I bet you can't go for at least 2 days without it."

"Oh, you think I can't?" Maggie sputtered. Her dander up was but good now and she wasn't about to back down. She leapt to her feet. "I'll take that bet and raise you three days."

"Five whole days!" Bianca crowed a she slammed the bowl of strawberries on the counter, returning to the fridge for the whipped cream Maggie had mentioned earlier. "Oh, you're on!"

"How about we go a whole week! Ha! Seven days!"

"I'm talking no sex, Maggie. Absolutely no sex, no nothing... nada... no innuendos... touches, comments, _nothing_."

That made Maggie pause a moment. "NOTHING?!" she asked incredulously.

"Hey... you raised the stakes from 2 to 5. I'm just making things a bit more challenging. I don't know about you, Stone, but if I could go for more than a year without it I'd like to see how you fare having nothing for a _week_."

Maggie bit down on her lip and contemplated the challenge. "Oh, God," she moaned, spinning around, her back to Bianca. She put her hands on the counter and lowered her head. _A week? SEVEN DAYS! I think I can do that. I mean, finals are coming up and I DO need the time to study and yeah... okay... studying, that will definitely keep my mind off of sex_. "You're on." She heard her voice say it, but certainly her brain never gave the okay. _Study time... Man, Bianca gives great study breaks… OH, GOD... Did I just__**agree**__ to the bet?!_ She spun around and looked at Bianca. They were both a little shocked.

"Seven days, Stone," Bianca reiterated, wanting Maggie to know just what the stakes were. _Man, even __**I'm**__ not sure about this…_

_Crap, crap, crap! Seven days, where's the calculator. How many hours is that exactly? Minutes, seconds? OH, CRAP!! What did I just get myself into? _"Wait, what do I get if I make it?"

"I have yet to think about your reward."

"Can I give you some ideas?"

Bianca continued, ignoring Maggie's suggestive remark. "But if you manage to make it a whole seven days without as much as an innuendo, a come-hither look or anything remotely related to gettin' any, then I promise you, the reward will be worth the pain and suffering."

Maggie wondered how hard it would be to back-pedal at this point. "So, uh... when does this bet start?"

Bianca looked at the clock. "You're hoping to get some before the countdown starts, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah," Maggie grinned.

Bianca shook her head. "You're hopeless. You won't last an hour, let alone a whole week."

"Does this bet include no kissing?"

"Maggie, you know what kissing leads to, it leads to necking. And then necking leads to more necking. And, well, you know where the necking leads…"

Maggie's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "NO KISSING, EITHER?!?!? No necking, NO MAKING OUT!?" Lord, if she flapped her arms any more, she'd take flight.

"Nope."

_Crap, crap, crap... _"That- that's inhuman!" _This bet is going to be the death of me.  
_

"It's not inhuman," Bianca replied, giving Maggie another 'Wow, are you overreacting' look.

"Well, I think it's against the Geneva Convention!"

"I'm pretty sure the Geneva Convention did not concern itself with Maggie Stone's sex life."

"WELL, IT SHOULD!" Maggie checked the calendar on the fridge. "Bianca?"_Oh, man! A weekend! How do I get through a Saturday and Sunday without any Binks? _"Bianca, why didn't you remind me that YOUR SISTER is coming to visit again? And that she's arriving TOMORROW?!"

"Oh, I thought you remembered," Bianca dipped a strawberry into some whipped cream and ate it. "Mm…" she moaned, just because she knew what it would do to Maggie's resolve.

Maggie's knees almost buckled. "I thought-," she croaked then cleared her throat. "I thought it was _next_ week. Wait... this bet isn't purposely planned for her visit is it?"

"No."

"You're lying."

Bianca shrugged. "Well, if you weren't such a brat about me not waking you up last night, we wouldn't be having this whole conversation in the first place."

"All I wanted was a good night kiss."

"Suuure you did. Pull this leg, Mags, it plays 'Jingle Bells'."

_Crap, I'm dead. I am soooooo dead..._

Bianca brushed her hands together then wiped her lips on a napkin. "Mags, come over here."

Maggie looked at Bianca warily. "What?"

"I said, come here."

"No, I think I'll stay over here..."

"Fine," Bianca sauntered over to Maggie. "You are soooo dead."

"Bianca? What are you-," Maggie didn't get the chance to finish her question before Bianca smothered her lips in a deep and passionate kiss. Maggie responded instantly, her arms wrapping themselves around Bianca's waist, holding on tight, giving as good as she was getting as their tongues tangled together playfully.

Miranda, from her high chair shrieked with laughter at the show, teasingly slapping her little hands over her eyes. "Momma kiss 'Aggie!!!" she chortled. "'Aggie wike!"

After about 45 seconds, Bianca pulled away and grinned, leaving Maggie standing in the middle of the kitchen, her eyes closed, her lips still puckered, arms still trying to hold Bianca close. Bianca sauntered back over to the counter and picked up another strawberry and dipped it into the whipped cream. "Bet starts NOW."

"Oh, God..." Maggie groaned. She licked her lips and tasted Bianca and strawberries, whipped cream and... man, this was going to have to last her seven whole days! She fell into her chair at the table and dropped her head onto her arms. "Shit, shit, shit..."

"And I'm not God."

Maggie looked up quickly, tossing Bianca an accusing glance. "You would be if you'd have woken me up when you got home last night!"

Three hours later, Maggie sat in the den, her open laptop in front of her, checking research as she read through her textbook and notes. "This ain't so bad," she said to herself, trying not to think too hard about the bet and harder about her class work. "Heh, I can do this." She finished the paperwork in front of her and pulled out her next task.

Anatomy.

"Shit, shit, shit." She beat her head against the desk with each utterance. Then, with a huge sigh, she sat up, straightened her shoulders and opened the book. Determinedly she went to work.

From the doorway, Miranda resting comfortably on her hip, Bianca just smiled.

"So," Maggie said matter-of-factly as she turned down the bed that night. "Do we get to cuddle or is that off limits, too?"

Bianca quirked an eyebrow at the blonde. "Cuddle?"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Yes, cuddle. Or is that too much innuendo for you?"

"Hey," Bianca replied with a shrug. "I can handle it if you can."

"Please,_I_ can handle it." With confidence, Maggie slid into bed, pulling the sheets up to her waist and attempting to appear comfortable.

"Hmm..," Bianca murmured, joining Maggie in bed. She settled down into her pillow, appearing much more relaxed than her partner.

"Good night kiss?"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I swear, you're a little kid sometimes." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Yes, good night kisses are okay." Maggie grinned and started to lean in, causing Bianca to pull back. "No funny stuff, Stone."

"What?" Maggie asked, all innocence and naivete. Bianca gave her one of those patented 'I know you better than you know yourself looks' and Maggie actually had the decency to be a little ashamed. "Okay, no tongues..."

That made Bianca snort as Maggie gave her a gentle kiss good night, then they turned out the lights. Turning on her side, Maggie curled up behind Bianca, pulling her into her arms, closing her eyes and drifting into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

It would be the last relatively comfortable night's sleep Maggie would have for seven days...

Paris, France

December 9, 2005

"If she brings more luggage than she did the last time, I'm moving into the George V until she leaves," Maggie muttered as she followed Bianca into the private flights terminal at Charles de Gaulle airport.

Bianca grinned. "Come on, Maggie, you know Kendall never travels light."

"Bianca, we're in the fashion capital of the world. She should consider, you know, _shopping_."

"Oh, she will."

They arrived at the Enchantment lounge a few minutes before the company jet landed, giving Bianca time to clean up the cereal mess that had found a home on Miranda's cheeks before the jetway door opened.

It wasn't long before they heard the bickering floating through the open door. "No, you can't."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"That's not an answer."

Maggie just looked at Bianca, who's only response was a shrug. "Oh, no!" Maggie exclaimed suddenly, her hands coming up quickly. "No! No, no, no, no, no!!! This was not part of the agreement!!"

"What agreement?" Bianca asked.

"Kendall coming back to visit! It did not include a traveling companion! It most especially did not include Greenlee! They're going to drive us crazy!"

"Kazy!" Miranda crowed in agreement, trying to stand up in her stroller as she saw her Auntie Kendall approaching. "Kenah!"

Kendall scooped her cheerful niece into her arms, spinning her around in a circle, eliciting a shriek of joy from Miranda. "Hello, Mimo. Did you miss your Auntie Kendall?"

"Kenah!" Miranda flashed her gap-toothed grin as she pressed her mouth to Kendall's cheek, giving her a sloppy kiss.

"Hello, Bianca," Greenlee said as she hugged the brunette. Then she turned to Maggie. "Short stuff."

"Hmmph… Hi Greenlee," Maggie replied a tad snarkily. "It's quite a surprise, you tagging along with Kendall."

Smiling, Greenlee tossed her hair back a la Erica Kane. "Well, Paris has been calling me back for a while. I figured I'd seize the opportunity and join Kendall on this excursion."

"Well, we're glad you came," Bianca smiled.

"Yeah, whatever," Maggie replied unenthusiastically. Not wasting any time, she looped her arm around Bianca's and began walking, "I swear, Bnks, if their luggage doesn't fit in the car, they're both riding on the roof."

---------------------

"My power is stronger here," Kendall whispered to herself later that evening as she watched Maggie. The girl was a bundle of nerves, unable to sit still for a minute. "Much stronger..."

"Shut up, Kendall." Maggie snapped, her head buried in the textbook in front of her.

Taking a few steps closer, the curly haired beauty became curious. "Frustrated much, Mags?"

"Shut up, Kendall!" Maggie practically barked, her glaring eyes glancing up. It was obvious that this time she meant business. She wasn't about to allow Kendall Hart to mess with her head.

"Aw, what's wrong, shorty? Not gettin' any?" the curly-haired beauty asked in a teasing voice, unintentionally driving the blonde's frustration level sky high.

"SHUT UP, KENDALL!" Maggie slammed her textbook shut and stared Kendall down. If she had the superpower, lasers would have shot from her eyes by now. "Why can't you listen? When I ask you to shut up, just please… SHUT UP!"

"Oookay," Kendall said as she held up her hands and backed away. "Obviously someone hasn't been a happy camper in the bedroom department."

The growl that began low Maggie's throat actually made Kendall's blood run a little cold. "You know what, Kendall? Bite me." With that, Maggie got up and left the room just as Bianca entered. "And don't mention bedrooms!"

Kendall quirked an eyebrow at her kid sister. "Geez, what crawled up her cargo pants and died?"

"Oh, you mean frustrated Maggie? Twenty hours and counting," Bianca grinned, plopping right down on the couch next to her sister.

"Um, what's that supposed to mean?" Kendall asked. She was now completely puzzled and apparently clueless. And not quite sure she wanted to know what was going on.

"Oh, just that you'll have a make-out free zone in the kitchen for a part of your stay." With an airy voice, Bianca couldn't help but smirk. She was determined to win.

"Really?" Kendall asked, now intrigued. Her eyes went wide with curiosity.

"Yes."

"Okay, spill. What happened?"

"Maggie was being a horny brat."

Kendall snorted delicately. "So what else is new?"

"So I made her a little bet," Bianca continued as she sipped from her water. "No sex for two days."

"Um, excuse me? Maggie being horny suddenly became a bet about abstinence?"

"Horny! Horny! Horny!!" Miranda suddenly squealed in delight from her spot on the living room floor, causing her mother and aunt to stop dead. "'Aggie horny!"

Bianca spewed her mouthful of Evian right onto Kendall. Startled by her sudden shower, Kendall leapt to her feet, her plate of fruit flying through the air. Miranda chortled at the show, bouncing Elmo on her chubby thighs and chanting her new favorite word over and over.

"She can't say Maggie but she can say horny," Bianca said, wiping her nose. "Go figure."

"But I thought she was saying Maggie's name already," Kendall said, confused.

"She's still missing the pesky 'M' sound." Bianca waved that off, hoping if they ignored the little girl's chants, she'd tire of repeating the word 'horny' ad infinitum. "Anyway, Maggie's become accustomed to what I think she refers to as 'Goodnight sex' and I didn't wake her up the other night and..."

"I don't want to know all the details, Binks," Kendall said quickly, holding up her hand. Obviously, she was still getting used to the idea of her baby sister getting some action in the bedroom department.

"Relax, no pornographic details."

"Just hit the highlights anyway."

"Anyway, I made her a bet that she couldn't go without it for two days," Bianca replied while toying with the ring on her finger. "And she stepped up the wager and said five."

"So, no nookie for five days?" Kendall asked in amazement. She began wondering how in the world Maggie would even survive five days without sex, let alone not even go one hour without so much as a kiss.

"Actually, seven." clarified Bianca, she waited to gauge the reaction on Kendall's face.

"A WHOLE WEEK?" Kendall Hart's jaw dropped. Literally. She whistled softly, "Seven whole days. Damn Binks."

"Yep."

"And this bet entails, no kisses, no necking, no innuendo... nothing?"

"Yes." Kendall jumped up. "Where are you going?" Bianca asked.

"To the kitchen," she called over her shoulder. "I gotta take advantage while the Nymphomaggiac is out of commission."

"While you're there, bring me back some strawberries! Oh, and don't show them to Maggie. It'll drive her nuts!"

"I heard that!" Maggie shouted from the den. "Gawd dammit!"

-------------------------------

"So, Mags, how you doin'?" Kendall asked, as she hopped up onto the counter. If there was to be no necking in the kitchen, then she was going to take advantage of every moment she had to tease the blonde.

"Bite me, Kendall," Maggie growled. She opened the refrigerator and reached in for a bottle of water. While inside, her eyes caught sight of the container of Cool Whip. It was mocking her…

Kendall was still on the counter, nurturing the bowl of red strawberries sitting on her lap. She picked one up and bit into it. "Would you like a strawberry?"

"Don't make me kill you." With a look that could do just that, Maggie stalked out of the kitchen, in search of refuge from Kendall the tormentor.

---------------------------

Maggie rolled over. Her face ended up right in Bianca's hair, the scent of apples from Bianca's shampoo strong in her nose. Shifting so that she wasn't curled up against Bianca's back, she tried to breathe, but strangled on the air in her lungs when Bianca slid closer in her sleep, nuzzling her head into Maggie's neck. Maggie slapped a hand over her eyes.

"Relax, Stone," she said to herself. "Just relax."

Bianca snuggled closer, her arm sliding around Maggie's waist, her nose burrowing deep into Maggie's throat. She purred. _Purred..._

"Ah, shit..." Of its own volition, Maggie's arm wrapped around Bianca's shoulders, pulling her closer. Her hand, with a mind of its own, slowly slipped up and down Bianca's arm, caressing lightly as it went. Her next intake of breath filled her nostrils with the rich, warm scent of _Angel_ perfume. "No, no, I can't take this anymore..."

Rolling Bianca none too gently onto her back, Maggie tossed back the covers and leapt out of bed, grabbing her pillow and the comforter. She angrily threw the pillow down on the floor, dropped down into a prone position and covered herself up. "Can't even sleep in my own bed because of this stupid bet," she muttered to herself. "Great..."

Bianca woke up suddenly, aware there was something not quite right in the bed. Her hand reached out for Maggie, finding nothing but air where the blonde should have been. Then she noticed Maggie's pillow was gone as well. And the comforter, too. She turned and looked over the side of the bed.

There was Maggie, curled up on the floor, the top of her blonde head peeking out from under the comforter she had wrapped around her. Bianca's brows knit together in confusion.

"Maggie?" Bianca asked, totally confused by what she was seeing. "What are you doing on the floor, Tiger?"

"Your scent is driving me mad."

"What?!"

"You_smell_!"

Bianca was suddenly indignant. "I most certainly do _not_!" she exclaimed in mini-Erica fashion.

"YOU SMELL GOOD!!!"

"Oh, you're crazy." She flopped over onto her side, turning her back to Maggie.

"Fine," Maggie snapped as she flopped over onto her own side, back facing Bianca. "And stop calling me Tiger."

"You know, Miss Horny 24/7, you brought this on yourself."

"Oh,_I_ did? _I_ brought this on myself? And how the hell did you come to this conclusion?" She harrumphed loudly. "And no to the Miss Horny 24/7, as well."

"I seem to remember you having a temper tantrum about me not waking you up the other night.""

"Well, if you did wake me up, then maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation. You think about that?" Maggie gave Bianca a baleful look. "And I do not throw temper tantrums. Miranda does."

Bianca had to bite her lip at that because Maggie was right. On both points. "Well, you had one the other day," she said anyway, her tone a bit petulant. _Oh, God, now we're pissed off schoolgirls..._

"Because I was grumpy about you not waking me up? Who's fault was that?"

"Maggie! You've got a one-track mind!"

"Are you complaining?!"

Not entirely sure she wanted to answer that particular question, Bianca sighed instead. "You know what, I can't take this anymore. I'm going to sleep."

"I'm going to win this bet, Binks," Maggie muttered determinedly. "Even if it kills me."

"Sure, you are… Tiger…"

Maggie propped herself up on her elbow and punched the hell out of her pillow like Mike Tyson pummeling some hapless opponent. If the pillow had had an ear, Maggie would have willingly bitten it off. "I will," she muttered unconvincingly.

"We'll see. Good night, Maggie."

"Bite me, Bianca."

"Ah, ah, ah, that's against the rules."

"Whatever. You still smell."

Bianca rolled over and looked down onto the floor where Maggie lay, her back still to the bed. With a grin, Bianca leaned over the side of the mattress, hoping to send some more fragrance her partner's way. "I love you, Tiger."

"Mhphmphhm..." mumbling nonsense words, Maggie buried her face in her pillow and started snoring.

Outside in the hallway, Kendall and Greenlee had to bite back their laughter after hearing the whole exchange.

"So, who do you think will buckle first?" Kendall asked

"Maggie," Greenlee replied with a grin. "She's become too much of a horn-dog to give it up for seven days."

"I'd have to agree."

"When does the cave-in happen?" Greenlee wondered. Kendall just gave her a look. "Okay, poor choice of words…"

Kendall snorted. "Ya think? I'm going to say day seven. They won't last those final hours."

"You think they'll make it _that_ long? Maggie's ready to break down right now."

"Maggie's tough. She'll hold out as long as she can. She'll probably suffer from hypothermia from all the cold showers, but she'll fight it as long as she can. Unless she cheats and whips out the Levi's and that damn jersey. Then I give it four days, tops."

"What jersey?" Greenlee asked in confusion.

"She has this New York Rangers jersey that has more power than I do."

Greenlee's eyes lit up. "A Rangers jersey?"

Kendall lowered her head in defeat. "Oh, no, not you, too."

"No, really, I want to see it."

"Not till the bet's over," Kendall said. "It's like... Bianca can't control herself. She goes completely crazy."

"Okay, then just show me how to harness this power you have."

"Well, I would, but my power has been neutralized by this stupid bet." Kendall began walking down the hallway, Greenlee strolling alongside her.

"Why?"

"Because they're not gettin' any."

Greenlee looked confused. "Oh."

"I think the jetlag is getting to you again."

"Well, you tell me about this power, but you can't show it to me. What good is that?"

"Let's go to bed," Kendall said, trying to deflect attention away from her powers. Then she realized what she'd said. "Oh, ha! You know, in our own beds, that is…" She rolled her eyes.

"Um, yeah."

"As soon as this bet is over, I'll unleash my power. You'll be amazed."

Greenlee turned on her heel and walked toward the stairs. "Okay, Kendall. You do that."

"I'm serious!" Kendall called, running after her tiny friend. "I will!"

"Go away."

"Fine." Kendall watched Greenlee disappear up the opposite staircase. "Be that way! See if I share my power with you!" Kendall stood in the hallway, crossing her arms over her chest. "She'll be amazed," she said to no one. "Hell, _I'm_ amazed."

"Kendall!" Greenlee yelled from across the apartment. "Go to bed!"

**Day 3  
**

"So Maggie... want some whipped cream?" Kendall reveled in the joy of being able to tease Maggie. She could see her frustration, Maggie was ready burst at any moment.

"Kendall, get off my back." Reacting calmly, Maggie grabbed a banana from the fruit basket, slowly peeling back the skin.

"Aw, come on. Don't have a banana. Want a strawberry?" Kendall dipped it into the whipped cream. "Mmmm.."

With a squeeze, the banana became mush. Angrily, Maggie threw the ruined fruit into the trash and looked at Kendall. "AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!" she exclaimed when Kendall tossed her an impish wink.

**Day 4  
**

Whistling a no-name tune, Kendall entered the kitchen. "Hey, Maggie."

"No," Maggie snapped, "I don't want a strawberry."

"I'll take one," Bianca said cheerily, reaching for a red berry and sliding the bowl over to her sister.

"Mags, you sure? They're really good. Sweet, ripe... juicy..." Taking one, Kendall licked it slowly before taking a huge bite. "I could go for some strawberry short cake right about now."

"AUGHHH!!!" Maggie stormed out of the kitchen. "I'm stuck in a _Seinfeld_ episode!"

"Okay, Kendall," Bianca murmured. "That was just mean."

**Day 5...**

"Kendall..." Bianca's hands shook. She stalked toward the counter but turned around, slowly taking a seat at the table. "I don't know if I can do this, anymore."

"Oh no... don't tell me." Kendall rushed to Bianca. Kneeling down, she pressed her palm to her baby sister's forehead. "You don't seem to be running a temperature. Binks… you're doing great."

Bianca glanced toward the calendar. "How many more days?"

"Two."

"Two? Forty-eight hours?" She slapped a hand to her forehead. "Forty eight more hours?"

"Oh, Binks. You were the strong one..." Kendall's hand reached for the bowl of strawberries on the table. She offered one to Bianca but saw how she immediately declined.

"Please hide those strawberries from me," Bianca moaned, closing her eyes to the red kryptonite sitting in front of her.

Kendall stood up. "Oh, God, you're going through withdrawal!"

"Hey! Only Maggie gets to call me that."

**Day 6  
**

"Twenty-four more hours," Maggie mumbled as she studied. "I can do this. I can do this. See me? This is me doing this…"

"Twenty-four more hours," Bianca whispered as she sat with Miranda and played. "I can do this. No problemo…"

"Twenty-four more hours and the kitchen is gonna be toast," Kendall mumbled as she drank her tea. "Damn." Then she sighed. "Well, at least I'll get my powers back."

"_Twenty-four more hours and Momma and 'Aggie are gonna what_? Miranda thought as she played with her Elmo doll while sitting on Bianca's lap. _"Ohhh… they gonna kiss! Yay!"_

**DAY 7...**

"Gonna get busy tonight..." Maggie hummed as she stepped out of the shower.

"What am I going to wear?" Bianca murmured to herself. "Oh, wait, nothing! Oh, thank God... not Maggie but really God this time."

"I get my powers back tonight," Kendall sang gleefully as she sat at the kitchen table.

"_I guess it means I'm going to bed early tonight,_" Miranda thought as she sat with her sippee cup. _"Hmmm… maybe Auntie Kenah and Auntie Greenpea will play with me."_

**Day 7, three hours left...  
**

All was quiet in the kitchen. Maggie was contently seated at the table. For the first time in a week, she was actually able to concentrate on what she was studying. Okay, well she did have something to look forward to. Reason being, good things do come to those who wait.

Turning the page, she glanced at her watch and grinned. _Three more hours… YES!_

The kitchen door burst open and Bianca rushed in. "Maggie?" she called out frantically. Her hair was wildly out of place, her eyes ablaze with emotion. She looked… dangerous…

"Bianca?"

"I can't take it anymore." The brunette shoved her way into the kitchen. Without so much as a thought, she tossed Maggie's textbooks off the table and pulled the blonde into her arms.

"What the-?" Maggie asked, totally caught by surprise. Did Paris suddenly suffer a time warp? Did the clocks just advance three hours?

"Kiss me," Bianca demanded. Her lips remained inches from Maggie's. Yearning. Wanting. Waiting. Waiting to devour.

_Kiss me…_ The words were spoken so softly and so hoarsely Maggie was sure she'd been mistaken. Because, quite honestly, she'd been dreaming about this just moments before the door burst open. Okay, now what? Kiss her or do a dance because she's begging for a kiss? Suddenly, Maggie was extremely confused.

"What?" she asked.

"KISS ME!" Bianca ordered. Before Maggie could even respond, her lips collided fervently with Bianca's. Her fingers were suddenly lost in the forest that was Bianca's chestnut colored hair, her eyes closed, feeling the ecstasy she so longed to feel for the past seven days.

_Hallelujah!!!_ "Oh, God!" she exclaimed. Maggie pulled away for a split second, her fingers still tangled in Bianca's hair, not wanting to let go. Ever.

"Yes?" Bianca grinned, her forehead still pressed against Maggie's. Their lips collided again, this time with more urgency, as Bianca pressed Maggie back against the counter.

The kitchen door swung open as they fell in a heap on the cold tile and Kendall stomped her foot. "Aww, man!" she groaned in disgust. "You couldn't survive another 3 freakin' hours?"

TBC…


	4. The Big PayOff and a Visitor arrives

By the way, Jonathan is dead, dead, dead. He will not survive a cave-in, he will not survive being shanked in prison, he WILL NOT LIVE. I subscribe to the philosophy that if your character is so vile that no one likes you, when you die, you die. He's worm-food, folks. Pushing up daisies. Taking the eternal dirt nap. DEAD. Now, Lena on the other hand….

Disclaimer: I still haven't gotten them as a gift so Bianca, Maggie, Miranda, Kendall, Greenlee, et all, still belong to AMC/ABC/Mickey Mouse...

Rating change to PG-13 for sexual situations.

**You're still the one  
that I love to touch  
Still the one  
And I can't get enough  
We're still having fun  
And you're still the one  
**

Orleans -_**Still the One**_

Previously on _Maintaining Balance_…

Paris, France

December 14, 2005

The Bet - Day Seven

All was quiet in the kitchen. Maggie was contentedly seated at the table. For the first time in a week, she was actually able to concentrate on what she was studying. Okay, well she did have something to look forward to. Reason being, good things do come to those who wait.

Turning the page, she glanced at her watch and grinned. _Three more hours… YES!_

The kitchen door burst open and Bianca rushed in. "Maggie?" she called out frantically. Her hair was wildly out of place, her eyes ablaze with emotion. She looked… dangerous…

"Bianca?"

"I can't take it anymore." The brunette shoved her way into the kitchen. Without so much as a thought, she tossed Maggie's textbooks off the table and pulled the blonde into her arms.

"What the-?" Maggie asked, totally caught by surprise. Did Paris suddenly suffer a time warp? Did the clocks just advance three hours?

"Kiss me," Bianca demanded. Her lips remained inches from Maggie's. Yearning. Wanting. Waiting. Waiting to devour.

_Kiss me…_ The words were spoken so softly and so hoarsely Maggie was sure she'd been mistaken. Because, quite honestly, she'd been dreaming about this just moments before the door burst open. Okay, now what? Kiss her or do a dance because she's begging for a kiss? Suddenly, Maggie was extremely confused.

"What?" she asked.

"KISS ME!" Bianca ordered. Before Maggie could even respond, her lips collided fervently with Bianca's. Her fingers were suddenly lost in the forest that was Bianca's chestnut colored hair, her eyes closed, feeling the ecstasy she so longed to feel for the past seven days.

_Hallelujah!!!_ "Oh, God!" she exclaimed before her lips were claimed again. Maggie pulled away for a split second, her fingers still tangled in Bianca's hair, not wanting to let go. Ever.

"Yes?" Bianca grinned, her forehead still pressed against Maggie's. Their lips collided again, this time with more urgency, as Bianca pressed Maggie back against the counter.

The kitchen door swung open as they fell in a heap on the cold tile floor and Kendall stomped her foot. "Aww, man!" she groaned in disgust. "You couldn't survive another 3 freakin' hours?"

**Chapter 4**

Maggie pulled back from the kiss just a hair's-breadth, smiling into Bianca's eyes. "Bite me, Kendall," she replied before getting to her feet and helping Bianca up beside her.

"Um, really, no thanks."

"Enjoy the kitchen while you can, K," Maggie laughed, pushing Bianca out the door and across the living room. "Because it's all over now."

That made Kendall shudder a little. "Well, at least I get my powers back!" she shouted after their retreating forms.

Suddenly, Maggie ran back into the kitchen, hauled open the refrigerator door and grabbed the bowl of strawberries. And the whipped cream. And some chocolate sauce. Cherries? Sprinkles? Nah, that would be pushing it just a bit… "See ya," she said impishly, tossing Kendall a less-than-innocent grin.

"Ugh… need shower… desperately…"

"Ooh," Maggie murmured thoughtfully. "Good idea…" She rushed out of the kitchen. "Hey, B, what about a nice, long, hot shower?!"

Kendall screamed.

Back at Bianca's side, Maggie pressed the strawberry bowl into the brunette's hands then wrapped her arms around her waist. "I just won the bet," she whispered, walking Bianca backward toward the stairs. "What's my prize?"

"Think about it, you goof," Bianca replied with a roll of her eyes. She had the bowl of strawberries in one hand, her other arm around Maggie's neck. "It looks like Bianca à? la mode to me."

"Oh, no, I don't think so. You're the one who collapsed like one of the three little pig's straw house"

"Okay, Maggie, seriously, you need to stop reading to Miranda so much."

"I'm serious, Binks. This was the eventual conclusion to this stupid bet to begin with, you know that. This requires a serious pay-off."

"Hmm," Bianca murmured, leaning in to brush the tip of her nose against Maggie's neck. "I'll think of something, I promise."

"You know what?" Maggie replied, tilting her head to the side to allow Bianca better access. "I won this bet, _I'll_ think of something."

"I'm not sure if that scares me or excites me."

Maggie giggled. "It should do both."

"Mmm," Bianca murmured as their lips met again. "Good point..."

Suddenly, Bianca's heels made contact with the stairs and she lost her balance. Not wanting to lose her hold on either the strawberries or Maggie, she sat down quickly on the steps, pulling Maggie down with her.

"Oof!" she exhaled when Maggie landed on top of her.

"Shit, B," Maggie exclaimed, quickly bracing herself on her hand. "Are you okay?"

All Bianca could do was laugh, her head dropping back onto the step behind her. "Look!" she giggled. "I didn't even spill the strawberries!"

Laughing with Bianca, Maggie reached for the bowl and plucked out a ripe, red berry. "That's good," she said huskily, bringing the fruit to Bianca's lips. "Because I have plans for each and every one of them."

Bianca's eyes locked on Maggie's as she bit into the juicy berry. "Mmm, sweet," she whispered. "Taste."

Instead of eating what remained of the strawberry, Maggie grinned and dipped her head, capturing Bianca's lips with her own. There was a hint of strawberries on her lips, but mostly Maggie tasted the dark, heady, intoxicating flavor of Bianca. "Mmm," she murmured a moment later after managing to finally pull away a centimeter or less. "I think I'm addicted."

Bianca took the strawberry from Maggie's fingers then held it up to the blonde. "Me, too," she replied, her eyes drifting to Maggie's lips as the blonde took a bite of the sweet fruit.

Maggie pressed her forehead to Bianca's. "I'm not talking about the strawberries," she stated in a husky voice.

"Oh, Tiger, neither am I."

Sharing Bianca's smile, Maggie leaned in and their lips met. In an instant, those lips parted and tongues renewed acquaintances, beginning a familiar energetic dance.

Somehow, Bianca managed to set the bowl of berries aside and tangle her hands in Maggie's hair, holding her tightly and taking the kiss even deeper. Maggie slid her arms around Bianca's waist, pulling her hard into her own body.

And the world fell away...

"Oh. My. GOD!" a voice shrieked an unknown amount of time later.

Maggie slowly broke the kiss, pulling back to look into Bianca's eyes. "Greenlee," she muttered with a shake of her head.

"MY EYES! MY EYES!!" Greenlee exclaimed. She slapped her hands over the offending organs as she stumbled backwards into a harried Kendall who had rushed out of the kitchen at first shriek.

"Don't call me Greenlee," Bianca said to Maggie, ignoring the theatrics taking place a few steps away. "Mood-killers 101, you know."

Greenlee's tirade continued unabated. "Oh, the agony! The torture! Make it go away!"

"You want me to make it go away?" Maggie snapped, attempting to get up.

Bianca grabbed her by the belt loops of her Levis to hold her close. "No, Mags, no felonies."

Maggie's eyes zeroed in on Kendall, who stood behind Greenlee, holding the smaller woman upright. "Damn your powers, Kendall."

"What?!" Kendall exclaimed. "Hey! I was actually no where _near_ this little make-out session!"

"She's got a point there, Sweetie," Bianca stated to Maggie, who reluctantly shrugged in agreement.

"Okay, okay," the blonde muttered in assent.

"Help me, Kendall," Greenlee pleaded, her hands still covering her eyes. "Help me get the visions out of my head."

"No way, oh petite pain in the ass of mine," Bianca's older sister replied. "I had to suffer through this last time I was in Paris. It's only fair that you share my fate."

Greenlee dropped her hands and looked around frantically. "Then I'll just have to put my own eyes out," she snapped, spotting a 14-carat gold Cartier pen on the table. The business end of that writing instrument should do the trick.

"Hey, Greenlee," Bianca called out, hoping to stop the ocular assault.

"Kendall!" Maggie shouted, hoping the curly haired woman would take the extremely vague hint.

"Maggie!" Greenlee groaned, hoping she could get the cap off the pen. "And Bianca!" She did a full body shiver.

"Greens, come on," Kendall said soothingly, moving the pen out of the smaller woman's reach. Although neither Maggie nor Bianca missed the exaggerated eye roll as Kendall took Greenlee by the shoulders. "Let's get you some alcohol. It always works for me when I stumble onto Masters and Johnson, here."

Greenlee looked up at her friend. "Like alcohol is going to help this," she snapped.

"I meant a bottle of wine, you twit."

"_A_ bottle? You think one bottle of wine is going to help? This is France, for crying out loud, I need a barrel!"

Maggie suddenly noticed the bare neck just inches beneath her lips. "Shouldn't you two be shopping?" she asked before diving in and nuzzling that neck. "Or something?"

"What?" Kendall asked, unable to understand the last muffled words.

"Or something," Bianca translated breathlessly.

"Wine," Greenlee said, swallowing suddenly. "Quick. Lots of it."

Kendall put a comforting arm around Greenlee's shoulders. "Come on," she whispered in a soothing fashion. "Let's go take care of these visions."

"Thank you, Kendall," Greenlee murmured weakly as she was led to the opposite staircase by the taller woman.

They disappeared up the stairs, leaving Maggie and Bianca where they had been the whole time, still wrapped up in each other on the staircase leading up to their private side of the apartment.

Maggie grinned against the spot on Bianca's neck where she was currently leaving her mark. "Ah," she said softly. She finally pulled back to smile into Bianca's eyes. "Alone at last."

She dipped her head as Bianca reached up and their lips met yet again.

There was a knock at the door. An insistent knock. A kind of pissed-off knock…

Bianca's head fell back once again onto the stairs. "Were you expecting company?"

"No," Maggie replied, hoping to ignore the intrusion. "And it's not my turn for study group." The knocking continued, an amazingly annoying thumping on the large oak door. Reluctantly, with one last kiss, Maggie got to her feet and went to answer the door, mumbling to herself the entire way. She swung the door open.

Standing there, arm poised for another fist-pound, coal black hair a disheveled mess, dark shirt and pants wrinkled as if slept in for several days, 10 o'clock shadow stubbling his chin…

"David," Maggie rasped.

"Mag-."

Maggie slammed the door shut and turned back to Bianca.

"Maggie!" Dr. David Hayward called through the thick wooden door. "Open the door. We need to talk."

"No hablo inglés," she called back, reaching for Bianca's hand and the bowl of strawberries at the same time.

"Wrong country, Maggie."

"Je ne parle pas anglais," she replied in perfectly accented French.

"Maggie, come on, open the door."

Maggie gritted her teeth. "No!" she shouted.

"Maggie!"

"David!"

The pounding started again. "Open the door!"

"NO!" Maggie shouted at the ceiling.

"Oh, jeez," Bianca groaned with a shake of her head. She stalked to the door and yanked it open. "David," she said in a hard voice. "Any possibility you're violating parole or something? I can get the local police on the phone."

"Bianca," David replied regretfully. "It's good to see you again."

Maggie put the bowl of strawberries down on the stair-side table and crossed her arms over her chest in a defiant manner "There's no room at the Inn, David," she snapped at him. "Go away."

Bianca turned and gave Maggie a reassuring look, reaching out to put a gentle hand on the blondes tensely crossed arms. "Please, David," Bianca sighed. "I don't want you here any more than Maggie does, I was just tired of hearing you two acting like school children."

"He started it," Maggie said belligerently.

"I did not," David replied.

"Did, too."

"Did not."

"Did, too!"

"I don't care who started it!" Bianca shouted over the two of them. "Now is not the time."

"Exactly," Maggie agreed with a grin. "Bianca is right, now is not the time." Maggie took Bianca by the hand and started to tug her toward the stairs. "Bye, David. You know how the door works."

David refused to budge. "Now, Maggie."

"Binks," Maggie whispered, motioning with her head and mouthing the word_bedroom_ to her.

"Oh, good Lord," Bianca replied in exasperation. "With him standing in our entry hall? Are you crazy?"

Maggie continued in a husky whisper, totally undeterred by the unwelcome intrusion. "You. Me. Bedroom. Now."

"Hello," David declared, his arms flung out wide. "I'm still standing here."

"Well, then, have a seat on the couch. I'm sure Kendall and Greenlee can entertain you. Kendall!" Maggie shouted up the opposite staircase. "Don't get too comfy though." Maggie then pulled Bianca up the stairs to their bedroom, shoving her inside and shutting the door behind them. "I thought he'd _never_ leave."

"Um, Sweetie?" Bianca pointed out gently. "He didn't exactly leave."

Suddenly, there was a hard pounding on the bedroom door.

"Aw, jeez!" Maggie groaned. "Doesn't he know when to give up?"

Bianca sighed. "It doesn't matter," she replied. "I'm quickly losing interest."

Maggie actually looked panicked at the thought. "Wait here," she said, leading Bianca to the bed and pushing her into the mattress. She kissed her hard on the lips. "I'll handle this." She started toward the door, got two steps away and came back. She kissed Bianca again. Longer this time. "Okay."

Maggie moved quickly to the door before she lost the battle to stay, took a deep breath and stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind her. "Okay, David," she began, looking up at the man who once meant the world to her. "Listen and listen good."

"Maggie-."

"I said this when we saw you at BJ's and I'm saying it to you again. Go to hell."

"You don't mean that," David said in all sincerity.

Maggie was stunned. "Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed. "I don't _mean_ that? I don't _mean_ it when I tell you to go to hell? My God, what an ego!" She laughed, a wholly unpleasant sound. "You don't think you did anything wrong, do you?" It was there on his face and Maggie found her anger level rising. "You know, I don't care what you did to me, David," she said furiously. "I'm used to being shit on, it's happened my whole life. But you betrayed Bianca. Completely. And without a second thought. And that pisses me off like you will_never_ understand. From the moment you found out she had been raped you were there for her. Helping her get her life back, easing her pain when she found out she was pregnant, witnessing her joy when she saw her baby for the very first time, keeping her secret for as long as you could. Caring for her, protecting her. My God, David, you _carried_ her to the hospital one day. Do you remember that? Do you remember_any_ of that?! You treated Bianca like any man would treat a daughter. How long did you even _know_ Babe before you were willing to turn your back on Bianca? Before you were willing to let your long-lost daughter have Bianca's child to raise? While you were more than willing to watch Bianca slowly die a little more whenever she was around that child? The child that was really hers? And you knew! You KNEW! The whole time you knew…" Maggie felt tears burn her eyes but she wouldn't give David the satisfaction of seeing her cry, even if they were angry tears. "So when I tell you to go to hell, David, don't tell me I don't mean it, because I most certainly do. With every fiber of my being, I hope you rot in hell for what you did to Bianca."

David had the decency to look ashamed. "I'm sorry, Maggie-."

"I'm not done yet," Maggie snapped. Taking a deep breath to get her emotions under control, she continued. "Did she deserve any of it? Did she? My God, that honest, innocent, gentle, caring, beautiful woman… What did she _ever_ do to you? And Babe? And Krystal? All Bianca did was love you like a father-figure. She gave Babe her heart, because that's what Bianca does when she loves someone. And, well, Krystal? Apparently Krystal's just a bitch. You know, Bianca loved you once. And so did I, but not any more. Not. Any. More. Get the hell out of our house, David. Just get out."

Maggie left David standing dumbstruck in the hallway and slipped back into the master suite. She locked the bedroom door behind her and turned to Bianca. "Okay?" she asked softly.

Bianca, who had heard every word of Maggie defending her, fighting for her, protecting her yet again, just grinned. "Come here, Tiger," she whispered, reaching out for the woman who held her heart.

Kendall slowly made her way up the stairs, seeing David just standing outside the bedroom, staring at the carved wooden door in futility. She held out the bowl in her hand. "Popcorn?" she offered. She had heard every bit Maggie's tirade and cheered silently at the blonde's angry words.

"What? No, thanks," David replied.

"Trust me," she informed him, "you'll want a snack. It's mid-afternoon, they may be a while."

"What? What does that mean?"

"I have a power," she told him with a grin. "And I know how to use it. But I'll tell you this... day seven… they couldn't make it a whole seven days."

"What?"

"They couldn't survive three more hours."

"Seven days? Three hours?" David gave Kendall a look of pure confusion. "Kendall, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Jeez, David! Do I need to spell it out for you?"

Suddenly, David could hear murmuring from the bedroom. The obvious words of two people in love floated out into the hallway, including an 'Oh, God' or two...

Kendall choked on a small kernel of popcorn. "Come on," she said through her coughing, "Let's move to the living room. We can interrupt them later." She left David standing there, trusting he'd follow her eventually.

"We?" he asked, catching up rather quickly.

"Okay, fine, just me then. They're used to it anyway."

David followed Kendall into the living room, dropping onto the sofa when she indicated for him to sit. "So, they're finally together?" he asked.

"Oh, baby, yes... In more ways than one."

David rubbed his face with both hands. "Okay, I don't need to hear this."

"Please, I did," Kendall told him with a wave of her hand. "You will, too." Then she grinned a little devilishly. "What? You can't take knowing your little cousin is gettin' some when you're not?"

"Kendall, why are you telling me this?"

"Because it's my pleasure."

David glanced back toward the location of the bedroom. "So, they're together?"

"At the present moment, literally... yes. All over each other." Kendall chuckled at her little joke.

"Finally."

Kendall gave David a questioning look. "You're happy Maggie is finally having sex?"

"I'm happy that Maggie is finally with Bianca."

"David, I'm serious, this could be a while."

"I can wait."

"They could take _hours_." She gave him a steady look. "They've turned it into an art form, David."

"I'll wait."

"'Til sunrise?" Kendall threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "David, it's been seven days! _Seven!_ They could be in bed for the _next_ seven. Davey, my boy," she said, patting him on the knee. "You might want to invest in a hotel room. Check out the sights. Twice. And then come back in seven days."

"Kendall, I really need to talk to Maggie."

"Oh, trust me, they'll still be here."

"Kendall, I have to talk to Maggie," David stated succinctly.

"Okay, fine. Go and interrupt the sex bunnies. See if I care about you when Maggie chases you out of this place. With a weapon." She waved her hand dismissively. "Well, I don't care about you anyway, but I'll just stand back and laugh when Maggie goes after you."

Suddenly, a dawning appeared on David's beard-shadowed face. "Sex bunnies?" he asked warily.

Kendall grinned. "Yes."

"Do I even want to know?"

"My God, man, are you dense?"

"Kendall…"

She leaned close in a conspiratorial fashion, causing David to do the same. "They make your Libidizone look like candy," she informed him.

"Wait… When you said seven days, you mean…?"

Kendall nodded. "Yes."

"Maggie?"

"Yes."

"Bianca?"

"Yes..." It was like talking to a 12-year old.

"Maggie and Bianca?" David croaked.

"Dear God, David! What the hell do you think we've been talking about for the past 10 minutes?"

He stood up quickly. "I'll come back later," he said, wiping his palms on his slacks and hurrying for the entry hall.

"Finally!" Kendall followed his on his rush to the door. "Hey! You're forgetting your luggage!"

"Leave it here. It'll give me an excuse to come back."

Kendall snorted. "Yeah, that'll make Maggie happy."

"Kendall?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know where I could find a bar? I think I need a drink."

"Ahh, like I said. You can't take it, huh? Maggie's gettin' busy more than you are."

David leaned his head against the cool wooden front door. "Please stop saying that."

"Saying what?"

"Gettin' busy," he whispered hoarsely.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?"

"I need a drink."

"Cousin Maggie and sweet little Bianca... gettin' more than you are."_Man, this is fun_, Kendall thought. _I could torture him all day…_

David hauled the door open. "Bye, Kendall."

"Like I said, David, it could be days._ Days_."

"Maybe I should take my luggage, then…"

"Yeah, maybe you better."

"Good bye, Kendall."

"Have fun!" After the door closed behind David, Kendall let the laugh she'd been holding in loose. _Wow, that felt good…_ Suddenly, she was smacked on the back of the head by Greenlee. "Ow!" she exclaimed, a hand to her hair to repair the damage. She glared down at her diminutive friend. "What the hell was that for?!"

The shorter woman glowered at her, hands planted angrily on her hips. "Why didn't you call me? Did you not think I would have enjoyed some of that, too?!"

Kendall ducked her head abashedly. "Sorry…"

-------

"Well, Tiger," Bianca said softly, her head on Maggie's shoulder and an arm wrapped around her waist. Their legs were tangled together under the sheets as they basked in the afterglow – the _six hours later_ afterglow… "You just won the World Series of Sexual Gymnastics. What are you going to do now?"

Laughing, Maggie rolled over quickly, pressing Bianca back onto the mattress, leaning over her and diving in for a hungry kiss. "I'm going to Disney World," she replied, still laughing. "I think I'm going to call _this_ ride Big Thunder Mountain."

Bianca burst out laughing and slid her arms around Maggie's neck. "I hope it's because you feel the earth move," she said between chuckles.

"Oh, Binks, the earth doesn't just move. It tilts completely off its axis."

"Hmm," Bianca murmured between Maggie's kisses. "For me, too…"

Maggie pulled back and looked into Bianca's chocolate brown eyes, feeling that she could look directly into her soul. She knew Bianca could easily see into hers. "I'm sorry, Bianca," she said suddenly.

Bianca shook her head in confusion. "Why?"

"My attitude caused this stupid bet and because of this stupid bet, I can't remember the last time I told you that I love you." Maggie's eyes fell for a moment then she looked back up, as her fingers gently caressed Bianca's cheek. "I hate not telling you I love you."

"I hate it, too."

"I love you, B."

"I love you, too, Mags."

Maggie smiled before tenderly capturing Bianca's lips with her own. Bianca returned the kiss, her fingers tangling in Maggie's hair to pull her closer. The kiss deepened, tongues met in a delicious dance, each touch burned and Bianca reveled in it.

Feeling Maggie's hand glide down her side, grazing over her ribcage, brushing effortlessly across her hip, to slowly encircle her waist, Bianca let the sensation overwhelm her. The press of Maggie's palm against the small of her back, Maggie's fingertips massaging her spine in a possessive manner. In her young life, Bianca had never known emotions or desires like these. All brought on by one Maggie Stone. No one and nothing had prepared her for this, for the brilliant sensory experience of making love to and with Maggie. The feel of Maggie's skin against hers, Maggie's hands on her body, Maggie's lips on her throat. The conflagration of each touch, the sensual whisper of each declaration of love, the barely-there brush of fingers on skin, the feel of a curtain of silken hair sliding across a stretch of warm, soft flesh.

One thing Bianca had discovered since she and Maggie had become lovers was that she was a very sexual being. She lived for moments with Maggie, when they touched, kissed, made love. She enjoyed the intimacy, the mindlessness, the lack of control. She loved being in control and being so completely out of control at the same time. She lived for each and every touch. She desired and required each and every touch. She survived on each and every touch…

This explosion of heat, light and energy… this is how stars are formed…

"I love you, Maggie," she whispered, pressing the blonde onto her back, taking control, losing control. Because, truth be told, Bianca was just as hot for Maggie as Maggie was for her. "I love you."

-------

"They're STILL at it?" Greenlee asked in awe later that evening, watching Kendall carry a wide-awake Miranda out of the nursery. "What are they? Re-incarnated bunnies?"

Kendall snorted delicately. "Just imagine if they could pro-create…"

"Oh, God, think of the litter they'd have."

"Little BAMbinos hopping all over the place. We'd be over-run." Kendall took Miranda into the den and settled her on the blanket in there, waiting until the kitten suddenly appeared before leaving the child to herself.

Greenlee threw herself onto the sofa and reached for the most recent issue of French Vogue on the coffee table. "Hey, you ever wonder," she said, quickly leafing through the thick magazine, "what it is they do so much-."

"NO!" Kendall exclaimed, holding up a hand in Greenlee's face. "It's enough that my kid sister is getting all sexed up on a daily basis, I certainly don't need even the slightest hint of visuals…" She shook her curly head. "I've seen my fair share, thank you very much."

"You have no imagination."

"Oh, trust me, I have plenty of imagination. There are some things better left alone."

"I don't think you really mean that, Kendall."

Kendall sighed. "Okay, my little short stack, close your eyes."

With a grin, Greenlee tossed the magazine aside and closed her eyes, settling back against the sofa cushions. "Okay."

"Picture this. Dark room, candle-light, soft music…"

"Sounds good so far."

"Gentle touches, caresses, moaning. Soft words of love."

Greenlee grinned. "Okay."

"Your father, my mother. Beneath the sheets, writhing. NAKED!"

Greenlee's eyes flew open instantly, her face suddenly pale. "Okay, that's not funny."

Kendall was laughing. "It is from where I'm sitting…"

-------

"Get out of the tub, Mags," Bianca admonished, towel-drying her hair as she watched the blonde play with what was left of the bubbles in the big soaking bathtub. "You're going to be a giant prune."

"Nah, I'm small, I'd be more like a raisin…"

"Come on, Maggie. I'm hungry."

Maggie laughed. "Man, you _are_ insatiable."

Bianca's towel hit her square in the face. "I need food, Maggie. Dinner, a meal."

"Are you expecting me to pay? Because, you know, in some countries I would be revered for what I did for you today. You should definitely pay for me."

"And your ego just continues to grow, doesn't it?"

"Well, I like to think I've really taken this whole lovemaking thing to heart. You know, learning all I can, perfecting my technique."

Bianca struggled not to chuckle. "Trust me, Tiger, the student has surpassed the teacher in this instance."

"Well, you know me, Binks, I never do anything half way."

"No, thank God, you don't…"

-------

Greenlee looked worriedly at her confidante. "I'm not so sure about this, Kendall," she said a little warily.

"Come on, Greens," Kendall replied with a toss of her curly locks. "I kinda feel bad for the guy. I mean, he came all this way from Pine Valley and all he gets for his trouble is a bedroom door shut in his face. It's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"Harsh, yes. But still, remember the whole Babe fiasco...?"

"Oh, what are you so worried about? It wouldn't hurt for them to just hear him out."

"When did you become the voice of reason?"

Kendall rolled her eyes. "So, do we call him?"

"Fine, call him. But if this backfires, you're taking all the heat."

"And all the glory if it works." Suddenly, Greenlee smacked Kendall on the arm. "Hey! What the hell was that for-!" Kendall exclaimed, just as she caught sight of her sister and Maggie entering the den. Once again, they were in constant contact. Maggie had her hands on Bianca's waist, holding tightly. Bianca was laughing at something Maggie had said, her hands gripping Maggie's wrists. "I swear," Kendall muttered to herself. "You'd think _they_ invented sex with the way they can't keep their hands off each other…"

"Hey, guys!" Bianca chirped, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. When Maggie whispered something to her, she blushed bright red and smacked Maggie on the arm. "Stop it…"

"What?" Maggie asked in all innocence.

"Oh, gawd…" Greenlee groaned with a roll of her eyes. She picked up the Vogue magazine again, burying her nose in one of the bazillion ads filling the thick issue.

"We're going to go get something to eat," Maggie said as Bianca made her way to Miranda. "You want to come along?"

"Oka-."

"No!" Kendall replied, smacking Greenlee on the side of the head. "Why don't you two go? I'm sure there are some highlights you'll want to relive or something." She got up and took Miranda from her mother. "We'll watch a movie, won't we, Mimo?"

"Mimo!" the baby giggled.

Kendall smiled. "See? She wants to watch _Finding Nemo_ again."

Bianca's eyes narrowed warily. "Are you sure? We're just going to Le Petit Rétro down the street."

"No, no, no, you go ahead."

"Okay!" Maggie exclaimed, grabbing Bianca's hand and pulling her toward the door before minds could be changed. "Later!"

"Bye!"

Greenlee never looked up from the magazine. "You are sooo dead."

"Shut up, put _Finding Nemo_ in the DVD player and hand me the phone."

------------------

The brisk December evening had Bianca and Maggie walking arm-in-arm the few blocks from their apartment to the little café they had fallen in love with. Not even beyond the Victor Hugo Metro station, the small bistro was cozy and inviting, a friendly atmosphere that the girls had taken to immediately. Built around the turn of the century, the little café maintained the décor of the era, while serving incredible, authentic French dishes. Maggie liked to think of it as BJ's drunk on French wine…

They were seated immediately by the hostess, a young woman named Manon, who was familiar with their frequent visits. She handed them menus and grinned as she walked away. She enjoyed watching the two Americans because they always seemed to be happy and laughing. And so completely unaware of the people around them.

Bianca ordered a bottle of wine when the waiter arrived, and an order of escargot to go with their fresh baked baguette. Maggie, in spite of her early hesitance to eat anything weird or unusual, had grown to enjoy the French delicacy, and now was almost disappointed when they didn't have them as an appetizer. They almost got into a fork-fight over the garlicky morsels, Bianca laughing as Maggie triumphantly held her off for the last one. The blonde actually had the audacity to tease her with it before popping it into her mouth, nibbling at the piece of French bread that had been soaking up the garlic butter sauce the snails had been served in. Face alit with mock indignation, Bianca reached out and smacked Maggie on the hand, laughing when Maggie dissolved into a fit of giggles and then snorted into her wine glass.

Still laughing at her victory, Maggie reached out and brushed a crumb from Bianca's cheek, her fingers lingering for a moment. Then, suddenly, she pinched Bianca's cheek like a grandmother would tweak the plump cheeks of a beloved grandchild, embarrassing the heck out of the kid. Fighting back laughter, Bianca gently kicked Maggie under the table. Maggie sat bolt upright in shock, unable to believe that Bianca would actually kick her. They looked like two schoolgirls at the mall food-court instead of a high-powered businesswoman and intense doctor-to-be.

David Hayward sat silently at his table watching the affectionate interaction between the two women, his heart alternately filled with joy at their boundless love for one another and sorrow at not having been around to witness it firsthand. Having been called by Kendall the moment Bianca and Maggie left their apartment, he had hurried over to the little café and found an out of the way table, wanting to make his presence known at the right time. Holding an amber bottle of Fischer LaBelle ale in his hands, David's eyes never strayed from their table, taking in the frequent touches, constant laughter and undeniable devotion the two young women shared. With a rueful smile, David realized his little cousin Maggie finally had the one thing that had been so unfairly absent from her life. An undying, unwavering love.

That it would come in the form of Bianca Montgomery was not surprising. There had been a bond between the two from the moment Maggie had set foot in Pine Valley. That it had blossomed into a deep and abiding love was no surprise, either. Anna had told him many times that what Bianca and Maggie shared transcended anything mere mortals could possibly imagine. They were two halves of one soul, bound by more than the physical or emotional, or even anything earthly.

"So," Maggie said, wiping her hands on her napkin before reaching for her wine glass. She took a sip of the bold red wine. "How much trouble do you think Kendall and Greenlee will get into while they're visiting?"

"Maggie," Bianca admonished softly. "Why do you always assume they'll get into _any_ trouble?" There was silence from the seat beside her and Bianca looked up to see Maggie just giving her a look. "Probably a little, I'm sure," she admitted, sheepishly pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, "but I think it can be deflected if we get to the press first..."

Maggie sighed. "Those two, together in Paris... I don't know, B, but it's got all the makings of an international incident."

"Jeez, Maggie, they've already been here almost a whole week and nothing's happened yet."

"Yeah... Weird, huh?"

"Maggie..."

They shared a laugh as the waiter arrived with their meals. Maggie smiled at the young man, giving him a Merci before turning her attention back to her plate. Bianca watched as a frown suddenly overtook her features.

"I'm going to kill Kendall," Maggie snarled, her eyes locked on a point beyond Bianca's left shoulder. "Dammit. She set us up."

Bianca turned quickly to see what had so suddenly destroyed Maggie's lighthearted mood. "David..." she whispered. He saluted them from his table across the dining room with his half-full beer bottle. "I think I'll let you go ahead and do it this time."

Deliberately never breaking eye contact, David rose from his seat and started toward them.

"Oh, he_better_ not be heading over here," Maggie muttered. "He's not heading over here is he?" Suddenly David stood beside their table. She looked at Bianca in amazement. "He actually came over here." She glared up at her cousin. "You've got some kind of nerve, David. Didn't anything I say earlier sink in to that thick skull of yours?"

Without being invited, David pulled out a chair and sat down. "Maggie, please, give me a chance to explain."

"Explain? Are you _serious_? You're going to _explain_ how you kept Bianca's baby from her?"

He looked at his beer bottle, realizing just how poor his choice of words were. "Okay, you're right. Please, let me apologize."

"You know what," Maggie cut in, "I'm suddenly not very hungry right now. Excuse me, Bianca, I need to use the restroom." She threw her napkin on the table, pushed her chair back and stalked away.

David sighed, his eyes never straying from Maggie's retreating form. "If she'd only let me explain."

"David..."

He looked up suddenly, his gaze intense. "Look, I realize she's upset," he told her. "And she has every right to be, but I had my reasons for what I did."

"Okay, fine," Bianca whispered, leaning close so their voices wouldn't carry to other diners. "You had your reasons. You've got five minutes to explain them to me."

"When I found out Babe is my daughter-."

"David, you had barely found that out and you turned your back on Maggie. You told her you'd be her family, the only family she'd need. Was it necessary to abandon her just because you found out you had a daughter? Hadn't she been through that enough in her life?"

"But she's okay, now. She looks great."

Bianca shook her head. "You're missing the point, David. Maggie went through hell and she had no one to turn to. Not you, not me, not Jaime..."

David ran a hand through his hair. "I had no idea."

"Of course you didn't. You had no idea because you turned your back on her. We all did." Bianca set her napkin aside, feeling much like Maggie and no longer very hungry. "You know, David, I'm guilty, too. I turned my back on Maggie, I hurt her badly. And I have no one to blame but myself. It's time we'll never get back, words said we'll never be able to take back. I hate myself for what I did to her."

"So you're saying I should hate myself, also?"

Bianca sighed and shook her head. "No, David, not at all. I'm saying you shouldn't expect her to throw all that hurt aside just because you came here to insist she talk to you and see your side of it all."

"I know I hurt her, Bianca."

"No, David, you don't. You may think you do, but you don't. David, you devastated her."

"Bianca, I didn't know."

"You didn't know? How could you not know? That's a cop-out, David, a total cop-out." Bianca pushed her hair behind her ears and leaned close, wanting to get this out before Maggie returned. "She idolized you, David. You were the one male figure in her life who didn't leave. Leo had an excuse, he died. You just gave her up." She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "I won't be the one to forgive you, David. I won't make that decision for Maggie."

"So this is what you do," he said to Bianca, waving his hand at her as if that explained everything.

"What?" she asked in confusion. "You mean look out for each other? Protect each other? Is this what you do for your loved ones? Of course it is, David. You should know that, you did it for Babe and Krystal."

David pursed his lips and nodded his head, knowing Bianca was right. Of course, how Bianca was protecting Maggie was nothing at all like how he protected his own 'family'. The sincerity and honesty humbled him.

Maggie returned at that moment and looked at David. "You still here?"

David gave Maggie a smile. "Actually, I was just leaving," he replied, rising to his feet.

Sliding into her chair, Maggie glanced at Bianca and saw the look on her face. It was a look Maggie knew well and she could never say no to Bianca. "What do you want to say, David?" she said, resting her hand on Bianca's. "Say it quick, before I change my mind."

"I just- I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Maggie snorted. "You flew 3,000 miles to say you're sorry?" She sounded unconvinced.

"You're happy and I shouldn't have intruded on that."

"No, you shouldn't have."

With a rueful smile, David sat back down. "Maggie, I know nothing I say or do will ever change how you feel about me, but," he glanced at Bianca, "I am sorry. I let you down and that was unforgivable... And whether you ever believe me or not, you'll never know how much I regret turning my back on you. I was wrong and I'll never be able to change that. I'm sorry."

"Fine, you're sorry. Thanks for your concern." Since she had returned to the table and sat back down, Maggie had refused to look at David. "Bye."

David closed his eyes momentarily, finally realizing just what he'd done to Maggie, and to himself. His actions had driven everyone away, including the one person who had loved him unconditionally. He opened his eyes and saw Bianca put her free hand over where Maggie's hand held hers. The light glittered off the matching rings they wore, David noticing them for the first time.

"I am happy for you both," he said sincerely. He smiled. "Anna always knew, you know. She told me more than once that you two loved each other." He got to his feet and put a piece of paper on the table. "In case you ever want to talk." He inclined his head to them both. "Bianca."

Bianca nodded. "David."

With another regretful look at Maggie, he turned and walked away. Maggie deliberately looked the opposite direction, refusing to watch him in any way. Bianca gave her hand a squeeze, then reached for the piece of paper David had left behind.

"It's his e-mail address," she told Maggie. She ducked her head to try and catch Maggie's eye. "Why don't I keep this."

"Fine."

Bianca slipped the paper into her purse. "Come on, Sweetie. I know it hurts to see him, but he really wanted to apologize."

"He can apologize all he wants, Bianca," Maggie replied, turning to look Bianca in the eye. "It doesn't change what he did to you."

Suddenly, Bianca laughed. "You know, we are quite a pair."

"What do you mean?"

"You attacked David for what he did to me, I attacked him for what he did to you... What does that tell you?"

Maggie smiled. "Tells me that I love you."

"Okay, yeah, well, that, too." Bianca turned her attention to her meal. Sheepishly, she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, a move that never failed to make Maggie smile. "I love how protective you are of me, Maggie. You don't know how that makes me feel."

"I think I've got a pretty good idea," Maggie told her with a smile. "I didn't know I had my own pitbull."

Bianca blushed. "Eat your dinner."

Maggie's smile turned to a grin. "Yes, mother."

Talk of David over, they finished their meal and left the restaurant. The evening, while brisk, was starlit and clear. Walking back to the apartment arm-in-arm, they laughed and talked, stopped at a bakery that was still open and picked up a few sweets, then ate them before they got home.

Luckily for Kendall, Maggie was in a better mood when they arrived, and therefore her life was spared.

This time...

-------------------------

"Hey, I can see our house from here!" Maggie exclaimed, pointing over the Seine and the Trocadero toward Avenue Foch. Bianca nudged an elbow at her ribs, causing Maggie to flinch. "Ow. Hey, that hurt, you know."

Bianca shook her head. "Maggie, how many times have we been up here?"

Maggie grinned. "Once or twice?" she replied, her fingers gripping the chicken-wire as she gazed down on Paris at her feet from the top level of the Eiffel Tower.

_Good Lord, she's like a little kid_, Bianca thought, watching Maggie with a delighted smile of joy lighting up her face. She lived for this, the return of carefree Maggie, still childlike with wonder in all that was around her. "Try 15 times, Stone," she finally drawled, "and you're just noticing it now?"

"Um, sun glare?"

"Nope."

"Not looking, maybe?"

Bianca grinned. "Try again."

Maggie leaned close, slipping an arm around Bianca's waist, pulling both her and Miranda into her arms. "Too enthralled by the scenery before me to see what's out there?"

"_Enthralled_? That sounds like some kind of word of the day thing. Do you get bonus points for using it in a sentence?"

Maggie shrugged. "There would have been a triple word score, but there's no 'X' in it…"

Laughing, Bianca kissed Maggie on the cheek. With a giggle, Miranda imitated her mother, kissing first Maggie, then Bianca on the cheek. Delightedly clapping her hands, she giggled some more when she was presented with kisses in return.

At the base of the tower, Kendall and Greenlee stood looking at each other, both with an almost daring look in her eyes. Confrontation was only a moment away.

"When did you start wearing Levi's?" Greenlee asked suddenly, taking in Kendall's curious attire snug-fitting faded jeans, spike-heeled Manholo's, cashmere sweater and leather bomber jacket.

"When did you?" Kendall replied, eyeing Greenlee's amazingly similar wardrobe, save the fact that her jeans were black instead of indigo.

"These are Seven's."

"Is that why it says 'Levi's' on your ass?"

"At least it's smaller on my ass than on yours," Greenlee muttered.

Kendall snorted derisively. "I'll go if you go," she dared quickly.

"You first," Greenlee retorted.

"I'm not going first, you go first."

"You go first, you have curlier hair."

Kendall's eyebrows knitted. "What the hell does my hair have to do with this?"

"I don't know!"

"Why, Greenlee Smythe, are you afraid of heights?"

"What?! Me? No!" Greenlee started laughing, a wholly unconvincing sound. "I'm not afraid of heights, this is me laughing at heights." Then she paused. "I don't see you racing to the front of the line, you know."

"Please." Kendall grabbed Greenlee's hand and hauled her toward the ticket window. "Come on, we're going all the way to the top."

As they neared the ticket booth, both women veered consciously away, delaying their trip as long as possible. Finally, tickets in hand, they entered the elevator and rode to the top.

"Come on," Kendall muttered, pulling Greenlee out of the elevator behind her.

"Oh, great view," Greenlee replied after taking a single step onto the observation deck. "Very nice. Let's go."

Kendall looked over her shoulder at the view. Of sky. And not much else. "Oooh, pretty" she said shakily. She bobbed her head twice. "Okay, let's go." She yanked Greenlee back toward the elevator.

"Slow down! I can't run in heels!"

They stepped back onto the elevator and rode it down to street level, gripping each others hands hard enough to leave marks...

TBC- Christmas and all that it has to offer…


	5. Merry Christmas from Paris

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except a roll of shiny new pennies, a bag of Pop Rocks circa 1976 and a skate key,

And I had to take a shot at the French and their hygiene habits… it's just too easy…  
Ratings increase to PG-13 for sexual situations

**Making love with you  
Has left me peaceful, warm and tired  
What more could I ask  
There's nothing left to be desired  
Peace came upon me and it leaves me weak  
So sleep, silent angel, go to sleep  
Sometimes, all I need is the air that I breathe  
And to love you  
All I need is the air that I breathe  
Yes to love you  
All I need is the air that I breathe**  
The Hollies – _The Air That I Breathe_

Chapter 5 - Merry Christmas From Paris_  
_

December , 2005  
Paris, France

As Christmas drew nearer, Maggie began to panic. What did you get the Chairperson of the Board of a Fortune 100 company for Christmas? Especially when your own funds left a lot to be desired? A blender? A vacuum? Yes, both would be _so_ heartfelt… And something Bianca would get a ton of use out of. Hmm, good grades? What was she, 12?

Although finals were coming up and Maggie was stressing a bit on that, as well. It seemed like she was spending more and more time in a study group than with Bianca and Miranda, and she hated that. Even though only a few hours passed when she was away, she felt as if Miranda had grown without her there to see it. And, well, let's face it, any time spent away from Bianca meant time not spent making out with Bianca… But if she wanted to be able to be an equal partner in this relationship, in this family they had created then she would give up some time now in order to earn her degree.

So Maggie spent her days in class, much of her evenings in study groups, and a lot of her spare time searching for the ever-elusive "Perfect" Christmas gift for Bianca. She never knew finding the right gift would be so difficult, but then again, she'd never been in a relationship where the perfect gift would mean so much. It wasn't until a chance phone call with Reggie did Maggie get the idea for a gift that Bianca couldn't resist and it made her smile even now when she thought about it…

Bianca, for her part, spent every day shopping with Miranda, also seeking that "Perfect" gift. Since the Cambias board voted themselves a two-month vacation, her days were her own to scour every little shop in every Quarter of Paris, hoping to find that one thing that would tell Maggie everything she meant to her. When she finally stumbled upon it, in a small antique store in the Latin Quarter, tears sprang to her eyes. It was the perfect symbol to let Maggie know just how much she believed in her...

After another late night study session, Maggie stumbled into the apartment, dropping her backpack and coat at her feet. Dragging her tired, sorry ass upstairs, she crept into the nursery to check on Miranda and kiss her good-night before attempting to sneak quietly into the master bedroom so as not to wake Bianca.

Bianca, though, was wide awake and stretched out on top of the comforter. When the door from the nursery opened, she set her book aside and smiled as Maggie shuffled in. "Hey, sweetie," she whispered. "You okay?"

Maggie smiled tiredly. "Were you waiting up for me?"

"Yep."

"God, I love you."

Bianca grinned. "Now, now, let's not get started on that. You're really tired."

Kicking off her shoes as she made her way to the bed, Maggie crawled up beside Bianca and grabbed her pillow. Without hesitation, she put the pillow on Bianca's lap and lay down, burrowing deeply into the goose-down softness. "That's an understatement," she whispered, sighing when she felt Bianca brushing gentle fingers through her hair. "But just one more final to go and I'm cutting loose."

"Should I throw a party?"

"Oh, baby," Maggie murmured, "you and I are going to have a hell of a party when it's done, just the two of us."

"Mmm, sounds nice."

"Please,_nice _is the furthest thing from my mind..."

"That sounds even better."

Maggie rolled onto her side and wrapped her arms around Bianca's waist, nuzzling her cheek into Bianca's flat belly, pulling herself as close as she possibly could. "You might want to make sure Lucy and Ethel are out of the house," she mumbled, balancing on the razors edge between wakefulness and sleep. "I have big plans for every available surface in the place..."

Bianca smiled as she continued to stroke Maggie's hair. The blonde was cuddling closer, an instant away from unconsciousness. "Lucy and Ethel?"

"Hmm, yeah. Lucy and Ethel, Thelma and Louise... Tweedledum and Tweedledumber…"

Bianca chuckled. "I'll make sure they're gone," she assured Maggie

"You smell good..."

"Thanks."

"You feel good, too..."

Bianca fought back a grin. "Thanks again."

"I love you, Bianca."

"I love you, Maggie."

"I hate school..."

That made Bianca chuckle. "Good night, Tiger."

"Night, Binks..."

----------

December 19, 2005  
Paris, France

Maggie raced into the kitchen the next morning, harried and half-dressed. "I can't believe I overslept," she exclaimed, reaching into the fridge for the jug of orange juice while trying to straighten her clothes. "Why didn't you wake me?"

Bianca looked up from the skillet where she was making eggs over-easy... oops, crap, well, scrambled. "You didn't oversleep, Mags. You've got 45 minutes before you even meet up with Cody and Kathleen."

"I need to study a little more. This class is huge toward my GPA."

"Maggie, if you study any more your head will explode. You keep stressing out like this and you'll psyche yourself right out of the test."

Suddenly, Maggie wilted into her chair at the table. "I know, you're right," she sighed. "Sorry."

"Sweetie, don't apologize," Bianca said gently, setting a cup of coffee in front of the blonde. "I just don't want you making yourself sick over this."

"I just want you to be proud of me…"

"Oh, Maggie," Bianca breathed softly.

"Wow!" Maggie groaned, letting her head fall back with a rueful smile. "Needy much, Stone?"

Bianca pulled a chair up next to Maggie and took hold of her hands. "Hey, you don't have to prove anything to me. I love you and I'm going to love you no matter what. I'm always going to be proud of you, so stop worrying about me. This is all about you, Maggie. It's time you did things for you."

"I do _you_ for me, you know…"

"Why did I know this discussion would degenerate into sex?" Bianca asked no one in particular.

"Yeah, well, you let me sleep in my clothes last night. My jeans were all twisted up on me…"

"Hmm, I'd have undressed you if I had only known…"

Maggie sipped her coffee. "Promises, promises," she murmured with a grin. Her eyes met Bianca's and she winked, eliciting a gentle blush and smile from the brunette.

"'Aggie!" Miranda chirped suddenly from her high chair, having sat intently until it was time to make her presence known. "Hug!"

"Okay, Munchkin," Maggie replied, picking the little girl up out of her high chair. "Are you going to give me a kiss for good luck? I've got a big test today."

Miranda wrapped her arms around Maggie's neck and gave her a squeeze, then put her chubby little hands on Maggie's cheeks. "Love 'Aggie," she warbled, pressing a sloppy baby smacking kiss to Maggie's lips.

"Oh, sweetie, I love you, too."

Another fierce hug around the neck and then Miranda was squirming in Maggie's arms. "Down!" she demanded. "Elmo! Kitty!"

Maggie set the child on the floor and instantly she was toddling off, her Elmo plush toy in her hand, the Tabby kitten on her heels. Her parents watched her go then Maggie looked back at Bianca. "She's got your independent spirit," she said with a chuckle.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Erica Kane genes had absolutely nothing to do with it."

They fell into comfortable silence as they finished breakfast, Maggie getting up to put her plate in the sink before leaving.

"Okay," she said, just a little nervous about the upcoming exam. "I better go. Gotta catch up with Cody and Kathleen..."

"How about a good luck kiss from me, too?" Bianca offered, moving up to the counter. She put her hands on Maggie's hips and turned her around. "Would that help?"

Maggie slipped her arms around Bianca's waist. "It'll either help or blow every bit of knowledge I have ever acquired in my life right out of my head."

"Well, we don't want that." She leaned in and pressed her lips gently to Maggie's. "Good luck, Tiger."

Maggie gave Bianca a sideways look, that lop-sided Stone grin snaring Bianca's heart once more. "Oh, come on, Binks, that was nice, but I want the mind-eraser."

"Now, Maggie, I don't want to be responsible for you flunking your test."

"Please," Maggie murmured, rising up on her tip-toes to brush her lips against Bianca's. "I'll take my chances..."

Before Maggie could kiss Bianca again, the brunette pressed her back against the counter. "Good answer," she said against Maggie's lips, wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde's waist. "I think you're going to pass."

"Pass what..." Maggie replied, just as Bianca's lips covered hers once more.

The kiss turned passionate instantaneously, almost as if they hadn't kissed each other in days, or even weeks, and were coming together again after a long absence. Maggie reached up and took Bianca's face in her hands, pulling her closer, kissing her deeper. Her fingers slid into dark silken locks, holding Bianca still, taking complete control. Bianca's hands found Maggie's hips, slipped around her waist and pulled the slight body against her own. Someone moaned huskily, the kiss became hungrier, lips collided, caressed, tongues tangled, danced.

"Mags," Bianca managed to breathe against Maggie's warm, soft mouth.

"Yeah…," Maggie replied, her lips gliding along Bianca's neck.

"Test..."

Maggie pressed her forehead to Bianca's shoulder, her mouth open against the pulse thundering in Bianca's neck. "Plenty of time," she murmured. Quickly pushing Bianca back a step, she hopped up onto the counter, then reached for Bianca once more, pulling her close and burying her hands in the brunette's hair. "Plenty of time..."

She sealed her lips to Bianca's, plundering the brunette's mouth as she felt strong, slim arms encircle her waist and hold her close. They fell into each other immediately, sinking deeply into the kiss. Maggie kissed Bianca again and again, reveling in the softness of her lips, the warmth of her mouth, the velvet glide of her tongue.

Bianca reached up a hand, cradling Maggie's cheek in her palm, her fingers brushing the hair over Maggie's ear. She caught Maggie's upper lip between hers, marveling again at the heated softness of Maggie's mouth…

The kitchen door swing open. "Aw, sonuvabitch!" Greenlee exclaimed, stomping her tiny foot at the scene before her. "Kendall!" she shrieked, turning and stomping across the living room. "Kendall, dammit! I have your power now! Take it back! I mean it! TAKE IT BACK!!!"

After one more languid kiss, Bianca pulled back. "Good luck on your test, Tiger."

Maggie grinned. "Thanks, but who needs luck?" Suddenly she saw the clock on the stove. "Shit! I'm late!" She jumped off the counter, only to have her knees buckle underneath her. "Whoa…" she muttered, catching herself before she hit the tile floor like a sack of potatoes. "Man, that was some kinda kiss."

"Hey," Bianca informed her, "my good luck kisses are very powerful."

"And tasty, too." She gave Bianca another quick kiss then started for the door. "I'll see you tonight, Binks. And we'll celebrate." Before she got very far, Maggie returned to Bianca's side. "We'll celebrate big time," she murmured, pressing another hard, deep kiss to Bianca's lips.

"Maggie," Bianca said breathlessly, her hands gripping Maggie's shirt tightly. "Go before you miss the test completely."

"Man, I hate school…"

---------

The front door flew open and banged off the wall, scaring the bejeebers out of Bianca. She hurried into the entry hall in time to see Cody Shepard helping Maggie inside, an arm around her waist to keep her upright. Maggie had her arm tossed over his shoulder, which was honestly a sight to see since Cody stood at an impressive 6'4". Maggie was giggling madly. Just then, she caught sight of Bianca standing at the end of the entry hall.

"Hey!" Maggie exclaimed loudly. Very loudly. "It's the Binkinator! Look, Code-man, it's the Binkinator!" She laughed at her little joke. "The Binkinator! My _very_ sexy girlfriend, I call her the Binkinator…"

"Oh, my God, you're drunk," Bianca replied.

Maggie shook her head. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, she is," Cody corrected.

"No, I'm not," she argued, shaking her head again and trying to escape from Cody's grip. "I only had...," she tried counting on her fingers, only to become confused. "I only had one, two...," She held up three fingers. "I only had a couple of beers."

"Try six," Cody clarified. He looked at Bianca apologetically. "I tried to stop her, but I think after the stress of studying for finals, she just let loose." Then he grinned. "If it's any consolation, she told everyone she's completely and totally head over heels in love with you."

Bianca blinked. "Everyone?"

Cody just nodded, his grin getting bigger. "_Everyone_. In the _bar_."

With a sigh, Bianca put her hand to her forehead. "Oh, dear…"

Maggie's head came up. "Yes, honey?"

Bianca rolled her eyes and went to Maggie's free side. She slipped an arm around her waist and removed the burden from Cody. "Thanks for bringing her home, Cody. I really appreciate it."

Cody smiled, looked relieved to be able to stand upright again. "It was no trouble. I had to get her out of there before she really started singing."

"Singing? Are you serious?" Bianca asked in awe. Cody nodded sagely. "But Maggie has a wonderful voice."

"Um… not when she's drunk," he replied, trying to spare Maggie's feelings.

Maggie grinned drunkenly at Bianca. Her eyes were a little unfocused, but they still sparkled with mischievousness. "You thought only _you_ sang when you drank too much," she managed to say. Then she started laughing. "She loves to sing when she gets drunk, Code. I mean… I've gotten concerts from her."

Bianca blushed and Cody got the hint. "I'll head on out now," he said, turning toward the door. "Merry Christmas, Bianca. You, too, Maggie."

"Merry Christmas, Cody," Bianca replied. "Thanks again."

"Meeeerrrrry Christmas!" Maggie crowed like Santa Claus.

With a grin and a wave, Cody slipped quickly out the front door. Hauling Maggie on her hip, Bianca managed to throw the lock then turned towards the stairs. Maggie sighed heavily and put her head on Bianca's shoulder.

"I love you, Binks," she sighed again.

_Oh. Lord, here comes Overly Sentimental Maggie_, Bianca thought. "I love you, too, Mags."

"Do you know how sexy you are?"

Bianca sighed. _And right on to Horny Maggie_… "Thank you."

Shrugging off her coat and letting it fall to the marble entry floor, Maggie grinned at Bianca, suddenly playful. "Race you to the bedroom!" she challenged, taking off up the stairs like a fire had been lit under her.

Bianca calmly picked up Maggie's coat, shook it out and hung it in the closet. "Five, four, three, two, one," she counted down.

The resounding _thump_ of Maggie running smack into the closed bedroom door reverberated down the stairs to Bianca. From where she stood, she could see Maggie sitting on the floor, rubbing her forehead and she had to hold back a snort of laughter.

"Shit, who closed the door?" Maggie muttered.

"Sorry, Sweetie," Bianca said, moving up to Maggie's side to help her up. She rubbed the red mark on Maggie's forehead then brushed a gentle kiss over it. "Better?"

Maggie grabbed Bianca and pressed her up against the door, kissing her hungrily as she reached for the doorknob. The door swung open behind their weight and they fell into the room, Bianca stumbling out of the way and a discombobulated Maggie landing on her face on the floor.

Bianca snorted with laughter as she went to Maggie's side. "Okay, Tiger," she said, struggling not to laugh any more at her partner's misfortune. "Upsey daisy."

Maggie pushed herself up onto her knees and looked up at Bianca. "That was fun," she said with a grin. "Wanna try it again?"

"Maybe later." Bianca took Maggie's elbow and helped her to her feet. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

"I'm fine," Maggie replied, her arms quickly snaking around Bianca's waist. "How are you? You okay, too?"

Bianca laughed. "Honey, I didn't just take a nose-dive into the thick pile carpeting."

"Pfft," Maggie scoffed, her beer-breath causing Bianca to re-coil a bit. "I'm fine..."

"Maybe we should go to bed."

"Well, that's my plan."

It was at that moment that Bianca noticed Maggie had on her Rangers jersey. Not the new blue one with the name "Lindros" and the number 88 on the back, but the white one, the Richter jersey.

The original...

"Oh, God...," she whispered.

"Right here, baby," Maggie grinned wolfishly. She reached for Bianca's blouse, trying desperately to work the buttons through the buttonholes. Her tongue was sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on the task at hand. It wasn't working. "These buttons are broken."

"What?"

Maggie continued to fumble with the buttons, her fingers refusing to cooperate with the simple task of unbuttoning Bianca's blouse. "These buttons are broken," she repeated. "They won't open."

Bianca glanced down and saw that Maggie had managed to get two buttons undone, the third giving her a fight. Frustration was beginning to show on Maggie's face and Bianca suddenly had a vision of buttons flying across the room as Maggie ripped her blouse open.

"Okay, Tiger, I'll take care of the buttons, you take care of your own clothes."

Maggie jumped up and down, then grabbed Bianca and pressed a hard kiss to her lips. "Race ya," she giggled.

Bianca watched the whirling dervish that was her partner in stunned amazement. Her blouse hanging half open from Maggie's attempts at disrobing her, her hair disheveled from Maggie's questing hands, she backed up to the bed, settling down and pressing a palm to her cheek to watch the show. "Maggie, are you okay?" she asked at one point. "You sure you don't need help?"

"I got it," Maggie muttered, struggling to get her head through the neck of the jersey. Unfortunately, the laces at the neck caught on her chin causing her to turn around in an effort to get loose. "I got it."

Bianca sat on the edge of the bed, watching with a look of pure amusement on her face. Arms crossed over her chest, she struggled not to burst out laughing. "I'm waiting," was all she said.

"Who put this here!" Maggie exclaimed, the laces now caught on her earring. "Stupid shoelace." She turned another complete circle. "Okay, I think I got it now..." After turning herself about 3 times, she stumbled and almost fell into the closet. "Whoops..."

"Jeez, Maggie…"

"Hey!" Maggie exclaimed, now sitting on the floor trying to tug off her Doc Martens without unlacing them, "why are you still dressed?!"

"Maggie, sweetie, you're no further along than I am."

Maggie jumped to her feet, unbuckling her belt and trying to shuck her jeans while still wearing her Docs. "What the hell is wrong with these shoes?" she asked, completely perplexed.

"Okay, come here," Bianca ordered. "Sit on the bed before you knock yourself out."

Sheepishly, Maggie shuffled to the bed, dropping onto the mattress so Bianca could unlace her shoes and put them aside. As soon as they were removed, Maggie shimmied out of her Levi's and tossed them to the floor, never having gotten off the bed. Of course, watching that had Bianca breaking out into a bit of a sweat...

Suddenly Maggie sat up and peered over the side of the bed. "Socks," she muttered.

"What?"

Maggie raised a shapely leg. "Socks."

"I swear, it's like you're six years old when you're drunk," Bianca grumbled, pulling Maggie's socks off and watching as Maggie wriggled her candy apple red-painted toes. "Okay, that was kinda sexy..."

"You're still dressed," Maggie sang, attempting one more time to remove the Rangers jersey. It slid over her head easily this time. "Ha! Gotcha!" Pleased with herself at accomplishing this feat, she reverently spread the jersey out on the bed, taking her time to fold it gently, smoothing out creases, gently pressing down the red and blue lettering stitched across the front. She ran her hand lovingly over the jersey one more time. "There," she sighed.

Bianca shook her head in amusement, she thought _she_was the one with the jersey fetish, then picked Maggie's jeans up off the floor and laid them on the chair.

When she turned back around, she found Maggie face down on the bed unconscious, arms at her sides, palms up, legs still hanging over the side of the mattress. It was quite apparent that she had collapsed like a rag doll. And that she was out for the count.

Eventually, Bianca managed to get Maggie into bed, pulling the comforter up to cover the blonde, who was now snoring lightly. Brushing a lock of hair off Maggie's cheek, Bianca leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You know, Tiger, this is twice now that you've managed to fall asleep on me," she whispered. "Normally I'd consider coming up with something to get you back for this, but I have a feeling you'll be suffering a very special brand of justice for this in the morning."

December 20, 2005  
Paris, France

The curtains were thrown open violently, allowing the full streaming sun to flood into the room. Maggie moaned loudly at the painful intrusion, her eyeballs burning from the assault even though her eyelids were clamped tightly shut. It felt as if the flames in the deepest pits of hell were licking at her optic nerves. She could hear the devil himself laughing at her.

"Oh, God," she moaned. Then she moaned again. It felt as if there was a sock in her mouth that she had been sucking on all night, and the dryness of Death Valley in her throat. Her head was pounding as if a dozen tiny men with jackhammers had found a section of her skull that needed to be re-graded. "Biiaannccaa…" she whined then groaned in agony.

Suddenly, the light was blocked by a shadow leaning over her, a mild respite from the glare. Bianca smiled down into her bloodshot, stinging eyes. "Well, I would say this time you're right. I _am_ God and I'm in control."

"What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" She handed Maggie two Tylenol and a glass of water, watching until the blonde threw the pills in her mouth and washed them down.

Maggie made a face at the taste of the painkillers. "I remember getting out of my final and a bunch of us went to celebrate."

"And apparently, celebrate you did."

"We went over to La Gueuze and had a couple beers."

Bianca smiled. "Six, according to Cody."

Maggie slapped a hand to her forehead in remembrance then grimaced as her head reverberated from the blow. "Oh, my God, I remember… Ow…," she muttered, fingering the lump on her forehead in confusion. Then her hand dropped to her mouth. "Oh, God, Bianca, I was telling everyone how much I was in love with you."

"That's what Cody said." Suddenly, Bianca grinned. "And I certainly do appreciate the sentiment. And the enthusiasm you apparently displayed while making your declarations."

"Cody?" Maggie asked.

"He brought you home, to make sure you got here safely."

Maggie's eyes screwed shut tightly all of a sudden. "I was singing."

"That's what I hear."

Suddenly attempting to sit up, Maggie emitted an unholy sound and fell back onto the bed. "Oh, jeez, I was singing love songs …"

Bianca was instantly intrigued by this bit of news. "Oh, yeah? What kind of love songs?"

"Oh, man, I don't remember."

"Try."

"Bianca-." Bianca moved ever so slightly, allowing the sunlight to spill over Maggie, piercing her eyes once more. "Okay! Okay!"

"Spill, Stone," Bianca ordered, repositioning herself yet again to block the light. "What songs?"

"Um, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon Journey-."

"Ah, the old Journey stand-by. Don't tell me, 'Open Arms'?"

Maggie nodded gingerly. "Yeah."

"Sounds like you were on a Classic Rock kick, too. No Beatles?"

"No, no, did the Beatles. I think I even did the Bangles."

Bianca smirked. "I think that was once a dream of mine, too," she cracked.

Maggie dropped her hand from her eyes and gave Bianca a look. "You know, this isn't very funny."

"Oh, I beg to differ."

"We were going to celebrate last night."

"I think you did."

"You know what I mean."

"I can wait a little longer."

Maggie tossed an arm over her eyes. Her head was still throbbing, but the idea of making love was starting to clear some cobwebs from her brain. "Give me a little bit, Sweetie, and I'll see what I can do."

"Mommie!" came a cry from the nursery.

"Ah," Bianca said with a grin. "Saved by the bell." Her eyes never left Maggie, her grin never wavered. "Mommie's coming, sweetie!"

Maggie's face contorted in abject misery. "Bite me, Binks."

Bianca slid off the bed and started for the nursery door. "You know, you keep making promises like that and then never carry through. I'm beginning to think you're a tease."

"Huh, don't push your luck."

"Yeah, right. Yada, yada, yada."

Maggie screwed her eyes shut tight. "How many times do I have to tell you! Its blah, blah, blah!" she corrected Bianca loudly. "Ooooh, man…," she groaned suddenly, grabbing a pillow and shoving it down over her head. "Never drink 6 different imported beers in one night, Mags," she reprimanded herself. "They ain't Coors Light…"

Seconds later, there was a shriek from the nursery, then childish giggling. Followed immediately by Bianca's voice calling after her daughter. "Miranda! Get back here, you little wiggle worm!"

Still giggling madly, Miranda raced into the master suite still dressed in her favorite Elmo pajamas, Bianca hot on her heels. The little girl ran to the bed and crawled up the little step-stool, gripping the comforter tightly in her hands. She looked back at her mother.

"Up, Mommy!" she crowed. "Bed! Up!"

"Okay, Munchie," Bianca agreed, picking her daughter up and settling her on the bed. "But let 'Aggie sleep-."

Before Bianca could finish, Miranda had crawled over to Maggie and sat straddling her stomach. "'Aggie! Up!" she squealed, bouncing up and down on Maggie's belly.

"Urk!" Maggie grunted. "Oh, God!"

Bounce, bounce, bounce. "'Aggie, up!" Miranda giggled, bouncing as if she were on her spring-loaded rocking horse.

"Biiaannccaa!" Maggie moaned into her pillow. "Make it stop!"

"'Aggie up!!"

"No 'Aggie up," Maggie groaned over the bouncing toddler's laughter. "'Aggie down. 'Aggie _stay_ down…"

"Up, 'Aggie! Up, up, up!!" Bounce, bounce, bounce.

"I think I'm going to be sick…"

Miranda sat on Maggie stomach, still bouncing up and down. "Up! Up, 'Aggie! Play!"

"Okay, Bianca, you've proved your point," Maggie groaned miserably. "Ugh-." She grunted after another bounce hit her right in the solar plexus. "Make her stop, B. Please make it stop!"

"Okay, Munchie," Bianca said, the grin in her voice unmistakable. She reached for her daughter. "Let's not make 'Aggie sick."

The weight was lifted off Maggie's belly and she exhaled in relief. The wave of nausea subsided. "Oh, thank God," Maggie muttered.

"'Aggie no play?" Miranda asked softly, a finger making its way into her mouth.

"Not right now, sweetie," Bianca whispered, settling on the side of the bed and resting Miranda in her lap. "Maggie needs to sleep."

"Play after?" the little girl wondered, already missing play time with her favorite playmate.

Maggie pulled the pillow off her face and smiled at the little girl, despite her pounding head. "Yes, sweetie, I promise we'll play later."

Miranda grinned at finally seeing Maggie's face. "Otay." Then she gave Maggie an irresistible look. "'Aggie kiss?"

Well, that would melt the iciest of hearts, to hear that sweet child asking for a kiss. Maggie smiled and sat up gingerly. "Yes, honey, you can have a kiss."

"Yay!" Miranda shrieked, launching herself into Maggie's arms.

Maggie grunted but caught the little girl, holding her close in her arms. She took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of baby powder and Miranda, and just a hint of Bianca on the child's skin. "I love you, Pumpkin."

Miranda sat back and took hold of Maggie's cheeks with her plump little hands. "Love 'Aggie," she replied before giving her a sweet kiss on the lips.

Tears sprang to Bianca's eyes. She would never, ever get tired of watching the interaction between her daughter and her partner. The bond that had been forged between Miranda and Maggie was as strong as her own connection to her child.

One more kiss and Miranda was off Maggie's lap and attempting to descend from the bed. Bianca set the little girl on the floor and watched her toddle off.

"Kitty!" Miranda called out. The cat leapt through the nursery door and fell into place at Miranda's feet. "Play?"

The cat meowed and the pair exited through the door, making for the toys in Miranda's room. Maggie collapsed back on the bed and covered her face again with her pillow, groaning in agony.

Bianca just grinned.

-----

When Bianca returned to the master suite later that afternoon, she found Maggie curled up in a ball, buried deep under the covers, pillow still over her head. _I really should have closed the blinds_, she thought. Then she grinned evilly. _Nah, my sweet Maggie needed to be taught a lesson…_

"Maggie," she called out softly, moving onto the bed and reaching out to give Maggie a gentle shake. "Mags."

Suddenly, Bianca found herself on her back, Maggie poised above her, pinning her arms up over her head.

"I'm awake," Maggie informed her, a teasing little grin on her face.

"Well, it's about flippin' time," Bianca replied, a matching grin curving her lips.

Reaching up, Bianca kissed Maggie, catching the blonde off guard for a moment. It didn't take her long, though, to recover and return the kiss. Bianca sighed. Maggie tasted minty fresh, her still-damp hair smelled of apples- she'd been using Bianca's shampoo again- and her skin was still warm from her shower.

Quickly and effortlessly, Bianca reversed their positions, leaning over Maggie, pinning _Maggie's_ hands above _her_ head.

"You know," Maggie stated conversationally, despite her position beneath Bianca. "Everyone thinks you're so delicate." Somehow she managed to work her hands free and slid them into Bianca's. Their fingers laced instinctively. "I don't think anyone knows how strong you really are."

"Like I said before, I've been working out."

Maggie grinned. "And like _I_ said before, I didn't realize getting laid was strength training…"

Now Bianca grinned. "It is with you." She dipped her head and gave Maggie a gentle kiss on the lips. "How are you feeling, Tiger?"

"Well, I feel a lot better now than I did when I woke up this morning-."

"No, no, no," Bianca interrupted. "I don't think you understand the question. _How_ do you_feel_, Tiger?"

Now Maggie chuckled. "Oh! Oh, okay." She licked her lips, an action that did not escape Bianca's notice. "I'm feeling much better, thank you."

"That's good to hear," Bianca replied, freeing one hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh, yeah? You got plans?"

"I've got _big _plans," Bianca assured her with a waggle of her eyebrows.

If possible, the grin on Maggie's face widened. "I know you. You're Bad Bianca." Bianca just nodded, her own devilish grin getting wider. "Where's Miranda?

"With Kendall and Greenlee."

"Is that wise?"

Bianca decided she'd had enough talk and started to nuzzle Maggie's throat. "They took her to that magic museum up in the Marais," was her muffled response as she kissed and nipped at the delicate skin of Maggie's neck.

Maggie tilted her head to the right, allowing Bianca better access, her fingers tangled in Bianca's thick, silken hair. "You realize, of course," she managed to stammer, "that the museum is in the cellar of what used to be the Marquis de Sade's house."

Bianca pulled back quickly, looking Maggie in the eye. "Are you serious?!"

"Oh, man," Maggie muttered, dropping her hands onto the mattress. "How many times do I have to ask you this? Did you do _no_ research on this city before we moved here?"

"Um, no..." Suddenly, Bianca found it hard not to giggle. "The Marquis de Sade? Really?"

"Yeah. Really."

"Wow…"

Maggie gave Bianca a look. "Now do you understand how the thought of Kendall and Greenlee together scares the crap out of me?"

Bianca grinned. "I'm starting to see your point…"

"Good. Now that _that's_ settled, kiss me."

Doing as she was told, Bianca kissed Maggie deeply. There was no hesitation on Maggie's part in responding to the kiss as she wrapped her arms around Bianca's waist, sliding her hands up under the T-shirt the brunette was wearing to pull her closer.

Pressing Maggie back into the mattress, Bianca's hand slid to the hem of the little white tank top Maggie had on, tugging it free of the waistband of her plaid sleep pants. Her hand slipped inside, caressing warm, silken flesh. Slowly, deliberately, she kissed her way to Maggie's throat, once again kissing and nipping the delicate skin of Maggie's neck. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her and she pulled back abruptly.

"I can't believe I forgot to ask," she whispered huskily. "How did your test go?"

"Jeez, Binks," Maggie whined. "Here I am planning on getting you naked and incoherent, and you're asking about a _test_? Damn, woman, where are your priorities?!"

Bianca laughed. "Come on, Maggie, if I expect you to keep me in the manner to which I have become accustomed, I have to make sure you pass all your classes and become a world famous doctor."

"Wow," Maggie murmured, looking up at Bianca in shock. "That almost sounded like your mother. I think there's more Kane in you than you're willing to admit."

Bianca shuddered. "Please, no… Not unless it's _Mona_ Kane."

Maggie grinned. "Was _she_ hard-headed and passionate, too?"

"Yeah," Bianca replied. "Yeah, she was. Only she wasn't dramatic like Mom is."

"She was just a strong woman."

"Yeah. You know, I love my mother, but I always wanted to be like Grandma."

With a gentle finger, Maggie traced Bianca's face, caressing along her eyebrows to her lips. "I think you are, Sweetie."

"Thanks."

"_No_ one could be as dramatic as Erica Kane."

Bianca laughed then brushed the hair back off Maggie's forehead. "You know, I don't even think invoking my mother's name at this moment in time is going to keep us from making love."

Maggie grinned up at the brunette. "You think so?"

"Oh, Tiger" Bianca whispered, closing the distance between them with slow deliberation. "I know so..."

Unwilling to wait for Bianca to finally kiss her, Maggie reached up and met her halfway. Their lips collided sweetly but turned hungry in an instant. Bianca's hands went right back to the hem of Maggie's tank top and started to pull it off. Maggie still doesn't know how Bianca did it, but suddenly her tank top was being thrown across the room. Which Maggie found amazing because she could swear that their lips had never parted. Not that she minded…

Bianca's fingers found the drawstring on Maggie's sleep pants and she tugged, untying the string. Maggie wanted to attempt the removal of the shirt without the parting of lips herself, but somehow, after tugging Bianca's t-shirt over her head, it ended up around Maggie's neck. She pulled back in confusion as they both began to laugh.

"What the hell?" she asked. "How did you do that?"

Bianca leaned back and helped Maggie pull off the t-shirt. "I didn't do anything, _you_ did. It went over the back of my head, then yours. You just managed to turn it inside out."

"No, I meant the tank top. How did you get it off me? We never stopped kissing…"

"Well, now, I'm not going to give away all my secrets."

Maggie tossed Bianca's shirt aside. It landed on the bedside lamp. She wrapped her arms around Bianca's waist, slid her hands up the warm, naked expanse of Bianca's back, pulling her back down so their lips were once again touching. "Well then," she whispered, her warm breath on Bianca's lips raising goose bumps on the brunette's skin. "I guess I'm just going to have to practice that little move some more."

Bianca brushed her lips back and forth across Maggie's. "I'd be glad to assist you," she replied softly.

"Hmm, I just bet you would…" Maggie managed to murmur, just before taking Bianca's lips in another passionate kiss.

Words were no longer necessary as the rest of their clothing was quickly discarded and they made love wrapped in each others arms.

And as the afternoon wore on, they made use of as many surfaces as they could, just as Maggie had wanted.

-----

Later that evening, Kendall and Greenlee returned with Miranda, who was still giggling and clapping her hands over all she'd seen in the Marquis de Sade's basement. Maggie reached for the little girl and they immediately started jabbering to each other. Before long, they were on the blanket in the den, playing with Elmo and the cat. Miranda giggled and talked, happy to have play time with her 'Aggie. While they played, Bianca and Kendall ordered out then went to pick up dinner.

Greenlee sat on the sofa and watched Miranda, falling in love with the little girl just a little more every time she smiled or clapped her pudgy little hands. Her admiration for Bianca, and Maggie, grew as she watched the well adjusted, happy child play.

Suddenly, Greenlee wanted to be a part of that...

December 22, 2005  
Paris, France

Recipe for disaster: Kendall and Greenlee driving in the streets of Paris…

"Kendall," Greenlee asked warily, one hand tightly gripping the dash board of the Cambias Volvo S60 they were driving, her foot mashed to the floorboard, wishing there was a brake beneath it. "Where are you going?"

"Hey," Kendall replied, turning onto yet another extremely narrow, high side-walked street. "You're the one who insisted on going Christmas shopping."

"Yeah, well, I'll bet we could have gotten there on the main streets. Why are you on this glorified alley?"

Kendall slammed on the brakes as a bicyclist lurched out from between two cars in front of them. Greenlee shrieked in surprise. Seatbelts tugged the two back into their seats.

"Shut up!" Kendall shouted in frustration.

"What?!" Greenlee snapped.

"Stop screaming!"

"Well…, stop almost hitting a guy on a bicycle!"

"Shut up."

"You shut up." Greenlee slammed her foot into the floorboards once more. "And get the hell off this street!"

"Don't yell at me! I don't work well under pressure!"

"You don't work well, period!"

"You could always get out of the car, you know."

Greenlee snorted. "All I wanted was a Christmas present for Miranda," she muttered to herself, yet loud enough for the taller woman to hear.

"Again, you could shut up, Greenlee."

"Oh, bite me, Kendall."

Kendall's eyes shut tightly. "Please. Don't say that."

"Say what? Bite me?"

"Yes. Maggie says it all the time and then the conversation quickly degenerates into something sexual, then she and Bianca look at each other all dreamy-eyed and then they disappear for a couple hours."

"Oh." Pause. "Ew."

"Yeah."

Suddenly, Greenlee screamed. "Kendall!! Open your eyes!!"

Too late. Kendall's eyes flew open just in time for her to slam on the brakes of the Volvo.

_Squeal!! Crunch!!_

Both women were thrown forward at impact then yanked backwards by their seatbelts as the car rocked to a stop. Luckily for them, their make-up and their hair, they weren't traveling fast enough for the airbags to deploy. But they were going fast enough to hit the car that had been sitting at the intersection in front of them.

"Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Oh. My. GOD!" Greenlee shouted

"Hey, I've already got that covered…"

"Kendall Hart! You hit that guy!"

Kendall unsnapped her seatbelt, all the while glaring at Greenlee. "Thanks for the freakin' newsflash, Greenlee," she growled, opening the car door.

Ahead of them, the driver of the school-bus yellow Citroën leapt from the driver seat, racing to the back end of the car to inspect the damage.

"Oh, la!" he shouted, gesticulating wildly at the bumper of his ancient car. "Regardez ce que vous avez fait!" The more he waved his arms, the more his unique aroma swirled around him. It was a curious mix of body odor, garlic and Drakkar Noir. "Regard! Regard!"

"Holy crap," Kendall groaned, her eyes starting to water. "Regard in the deodorant aisle next time, pal."

"Dear Lord, is that him?" Greenlee asked, trying to inconspicuously wave her hand in front of her nose.

"Unless there's a rotting corpse around here somewhere, I'm going to say 'yes'."

"Ma voiture!" the smelly little man shrieked. "Regardez ce que vous avez fait à ma voiture!"

Kendall eyed him curiously. "He's screaming like a little girl."

"Conducteur américain stupide!" he shrieked. "Oh, la la…"

"Talk to him!" Greenlee demanded, looking from Kendall to the irate, stinky Frenchman cussing them out in beautifully lyrical Gaul.

"I can't," Kendall replied through gritted teeth.

"What?!"

Kendall glared at her diminutive companion. "I can't!" she shouted. "I don't speak very fluent French!"

Greenlee stared at Kendall dumbfounded. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Don't mess with me, Short Stack. I'm not in the mood!"

"First of all, don't you _dare_ call me Short Stack, you twig! And second, you dated Jean-Paul for almost six months! Didn't he teach you _any_ French?!"

"If you mean French-kissing, yes, he taught me a _lot_ of French!"

Greenlee shuddered. "Oh, please. Gag."

Kendall was on a roll. "We spoke the international language of love, not French or English."

"Seriously, stop." Greenlee looked again at the pissed-off Frenchman, who was still waving his arms demonstratively at the rear end of his 1973 Citroën DS 21 Pallas and shouting colorfully in French. "Come on, Kendall, Jean-Paul didn't teach you _any_ useful phrases?"

"Well, none that would help in _this_ situation…" she replied dreamily.

"Okay, okay! TMI, already!" Greenlee walked to the front of the Volvo and looked down. "Hey!" she shouted at the Frenchman. "There's nothing wrong with your car!"

"What?!" Kendall shouted, hurrying to Greenlee's side.

"Quoi?!" the Frenchman shouted.

"That thing's a tank!" Greenlee exclaimed, pointing at the back end of the older car. "My God, it's over 30 years old! It's made out of solid sheet metal!"

"There's not a mark on it!" Kendall shouted. "But look at _my_ car!" she exclaimed, waving an arm at the crumpled front fender of the Volvo.

"Uh, actually, Miranda's car," Greenlee reminded her.

"Not helping!"

"Sorry."

The Frenchman was still waving his arms and shouting, attracting a gathering of pedestrians to his show. As he yelled and gesticulated, Kendall picked out a word here and there, chiefly among them 'Americans', 'car' and 'sue'.

"Hey!" Greenlee shouted, jumping into the smelly man's face. "I may not speak a lot of French, but I understood that! Don't you _dare_ attempt to sue us or you'll be sorry."

The man's mouth snapped shut and his eyes widened to the size of saucers as the diminutive woman crowded his personal space. _!Oh, merde, j'ai pissé outre des Américains..._ he thought.

Greenlee was in her element and wasn't about to let the man off the hook. Not even his BO defense mechanism was going to save him from her tirade. "There's nothing wrong with your vintage tank, pal, so why don't you get back behind the wheel, start the engine and drive away. Get me?"

"Je- je ne comprends pas," the man stuttered.

"Oh, please, you understand me just fine." Suddenly, she grabbed the man by his collar and dragged him to the rear of the Citroën. "There isn't even a dent there, do you see that?"

"Oui?"

"I knew you understood English," Greenlee said with a smirk. "Now, I suggest you drive away and forget this ever happened, okay?"

The man was actually shaking beneath Greenlee's grip on his collar. "Okay," he replied. "Okay."

"Good." She released him and he took a wary step backwards. "Shoo," she said, waving him away. "Go."

"Merci," he stammered. Then he wondered to himself why he was actually thanking the Americans for rear-ending his car. Before he did something stupid, he slid behind the wheel and drove off.

The assembled pedestrians actually applauded. Kendall stood in awe, a hand to her cheek.

"What the hell was that?" she finally managed to ask.

Greenlee grinned as she walked back to the passenger side of the car. "That was the subtle persuasion of Greenlee Smyth-DuPres-Lavery -Smythe."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Yeah, subtle as a sledge hammer…" She looked at Greenlee over the roof of the Volvo. "You know, if you weren't on the other side of the car- and if you were a man- I'd kiss you full on the lips."

"Hey," Greenlee snapped, quickly sliding back into her seat. "Don't threaten me."

----------------------

Christmas in France was different than Christmas in the U.S. and after discussing it at length, Bianca and Maggie decided that, although they lived in Paris, they would raise Miranda with a knowledge of both holiday celebrations. While Christmas trees were not very popular in France, they decided they would have one in the apartment, decorated with ornaments, lights, tinsel, the works. They also had the traditional French crèche, or nativity scene, displayed in the living room. The manger scene featured Mary and Joseph and the angel, but no baby Jesus. He would be placed in the manger on Christmas day. The three wise men would be added on January 6th, the Epiphany.

Unlike one French tradition of exchanging gifts on December 6th, or St. Nicholas day, they would open gifts on the morning of the 25th, like they always had. But like French celebration, they would put a pair of Miranda's shoes before the fireplace so that Père Noël, or Father Christmas, could fill them with presents and candy.

They decided that when Miranda was older, they would begin to celebrate Le Réveillon. Le Réveillon was the traditional meal served after the family returned home from Midnight Services on Christmas Eve and could be done at home or in a restaurant or café that was open all night. But they also decided that Christmas day would be just like those they had spent back in Pine Valley, with a traditional turkey meal, complete with stuffing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie.

They sent a letter to Santa containing Miranda's Christmas wish list. And because of a law passed in 1962, she got a postcard in response. That year, a law decreeing that all letters written to Santa would responded to with a postcard was passed. Maggie thought the postcard was more important to Miranda than her presents, because it was from the Red-Suited Man himself…

Then, of course, there was the mistletoe. Mistletoe was hung above the door during the Christmas season to bring good fortune throughout the year. And while Bianca and Maggie hung the mistletoe in the tradition of the French, they followed the tradition of Americans by finding themselves under it as often as possible so they could kiss- no, not quite that simple, they found themselves under it as often as possible so they could _neck_… Kendall and Greenlee avoided that doorway whenever they could.

Christmas Eve, 2005  
Paris, France

The day had been spent strolling the streets of Paris, watching the festivities all around them. After lunch at a local café, they walked along the Champs Elysees and looked in store windows at the wonderfully elaborate Christmas displays. And while sipping coffee and nibbling on pastries, they were treated to a few snow flakes falling softly from the sky.

They returned to the apartment early in the evening and retired to the den to watch _A Christmas Story_. They followed that up with _National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation_, then spent some time deconstructing Chevy Chase's acting style.

It was much later that night when Kendall and Greenlee had finally gone to their respective rooms, not long after Miranda went to sleep. After putting the little girl to bed, Maggie and Bianca returned to the den hand-in-hand, settling onto the floor in front of the Christmas tree. Maggie leaned back against the sofa, pulling Bianca gently yet tightly into her arms. Bianca settled back into Maggie's embrace, rubbing her forehead into Maggie's neck like a puppy seeking warmth. Maggie wrapped her arms around Bianca's shoulders, nuzzling into Bianca's neck before pressing a gentle kiss to the brunette's cheek.

"What a difference a year makes, huh?" Maggie whispered softly.

Bianca leaned her head back and grinned up at the blonde. "What are you saying, Mags?" she asked impishly. "Was last years Christmas different than this one?"

Maggie grinned and gave Bianca a squeeze. "Just a little bit, I think." She sighed, pressed her lips to Bianca's temple. "I was scared, Binks. I was really scared."

"Maggie..."

"I almost didn't get to you. All I can think about is how I wasn't there for you. God, Bianca, you were in a coma, we were all so scared you were going to die. If something had happened and I never got the chance to see you... it would have killed me, too."

Bianca pulled Maggie's arms tighter around her own shoulders. "You were there," she whispered softly, her eyes closing in remembrance. "I knew you were there."

"I never knew," Maggie murmured. "Nothing about what happened in Florida, the balcony, Miranda... If Reggie hadn't been so persistent." She leaned her head back on the sofa. "He thought I didn't care. He thought you didn't matter to me."

"Maggie, you need to stop beating yourself up over this."

Maggie chuckled ruefully. "Easier said than done, Honey. Easier said than done. Because I did care, I _do_ care... You mean so much to me that when I saw you in that bed my knees almost gave out." She sighed, pressing her lips to Bianca's temple, as if the constant contact was the only thing keeping her in one piece. "You were leaving me, Bianca, and I couldn't stop it."

"You stopped it, Baby. More than you know."

"What do you mean?"

Bianca let her head fall back onto Maggie's shoulder, looked up into Maggie's warm brown eyes. "I heard you, Maggie," she whispered gently. "I heard you tell me you loved me."

Maggie's eyes drifted shut as she remembered her impassioned words whispered desperately in Bianca's ear that day. "I should have told you sooner," she whispered huskily. "I shouldn't have waited until I almost lost you."

"Maggie, you told me when I needed to hear it."

Maggie gently cupped Bianca's cheek, turning chocolate eyes up to hers. "It shouldn't have taken you nearly dying for me to finally say it, Bianca."

"But it saved me, Maggie. At that moment in time, it saved me."

"I love you, Binks."

Bianca smiled. "I have loved you since I was 18," she said softly. "And that will never change."

With a gentle fingertip, Maggie swept back a dark strand of Bianca's hair, slipping it behind her delicate ear, then leaned in and kissed her softly. It took only a moment before she captured Bianca's lips again, this time in a passionate loving kiss. Bianca responded immediately, shifting in Maggie's arms to pull her closer. They burrowed deep into each others arms, falling deeply into one kiss after another.

Pulling back, her lips still clinging to Bianca's momentarily, Maggie pressed yet another kiss to soft lips. "I have something for you," she whispered.

Bianca's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah? What? What have you got?"

Maggie kissed Bianca one more time then got to her feet. "Slow down, B. I swear, you're like a little kid."

"Give me 10 more minutes and I'll be shaking all the packages..."

"Yeah, I'll bet." Finding a small box under the tree, Maggie retrieved it and moved back to Bianca's side. "Here..."

Taking the box, Bianca sat up and folded her legs under herself Indian-style, using her free hand to push her hair behind her ears. Maggie sat herself beside Bianca, scooting in close, wanting to witness Bianca's childlike eagerness with her gift, but really just wanting to be close to her love.

Carefully peeling paper away, Bianca slowly revealed a small jewelry box, her eyes lighting up at the prospect. "Maggie..."

"Don't get too excited, B," Maggie chided gently. "I'm just a poor med student, hip deep in debt, you know. It's nothing big."

"Oh, come on, Maggie, you should know that size doesn't matter to me."

There was a decidedly pregnant pause as what Bianca had said really registered with both girls. Then Maggie laughed. "You know, it doesn't matter that much to me, anymore, either."

With a twinkle in her eye, Bianca opened the small box, revealing a tiny gold pendant, no bigger than the size of a small tablet, on a delicate gold chain. "Oh, Maggie..." The pendant, though small in size, was brilliantly golden, featuring one of the tiny Rubin cherubs from the Sistine Chapel. "It's beautiful."

Blushing slightly, Maggie brushed a finger over the tiny detail. "I found it when we were back in Pine Valley at Thanksgiving. I thought of you."

Bianca grinned. "Me?"

"You're my angel, Bianca. You always have been and you always will be. You are my angel." Slowly she turned the little charm over. "There wasn't a lot of room to say anything on here, so I just... well, I had them put your initial on it. Just so you know..."

"I love it, Maggie," she whispered, hooking the thin chain around her neck. "I'll never take it off."

"Good. And don't expect jewelry all the time, like I said, I'm a poor med student. Give me a couple years and I'll get you anything you want. Whenever you want it."

Bianca couldn't stop her silly grin. The fact that Maggie was always talking of the future, their future, made her heart skip a beat. Brushing her finger over the charm once more, she looked into Maggie's eyes. "I love you," she whispered, before kissing Maggie deeply. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

With another kiss, Bianca crawled over to the tree, finding her own small package for Maggie. "Well, this is for you," she murmured, scooting back to Maggie and holding out the gift. "It's kinda goofy..."

Maggie hefted the little box. "It's heavy for being so small."

Bianca shyly slipped some hair behind her ear. "Open it."

Without hesitation, Maggie attacked the paper, sending the bow flying. Pieces of shiny paper floated to the floor as Maggie tore into the present, a little snow shower of red and gold wrapping. She pulled the top off the box and pushed the velvet aside. "Oh, wow..."

"No, it's goofy..."

"Bianca, it's cool!" Maggie gently fingered the large piece of stone. "It's beautiful..."

Nestled in the black velvet of the box was a finger-length piece of Lapis Lazuli, a beautiful chunk of rich cobalt blue stone, shot through with thick silver and gold flecks. Laser engraved on one side of the stone was one word: "Maggie."

Suddenly incredibly embarrassed, Bianca covered her eyes with her hand. "Oh, God, this is so lame..." She dropped her hand into her lap. "Because you're my rock..."

Maggie gave Bianca a lopsided grin. "Yeah?"

Bianca sighed. "Turn it over," she mumbled.

Turning the stone over in her hand, Maggie read the engraving there. "'My rock always. Love, B'."

"It's just something to keep with you. So you know what you mean to me."

"I already knew." Maggie leaned in and kissed Bianca. "I love it. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Maggie ran her thumb over the smooth stone, the engraved name. "You wanna know something?" she whispered, looking tenderly into Bianca's chocolate brown eyes.

Bianca smiled shyly. "What's that?"

"We're pathetic."

That made Bianca snort as they both burst out into laughter. "Oh, yeah," she agreed between chuckles. "We are."

"Merry Christmas, Bianca."

"Merry Christmas, Tiger."

With a grin and a growl, Maggie pulled Bianca into her arms, smothering her in a deep hungry kiss. Laughing and falling into the kiss, Bianca slid her arms around Maggie, pulling her close and holding her tight. They wrapped themselves in each others arms and legs, lying in the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, having their own little holiday celebration.

They finally retired to their bed late in the morning, curling up in each others arms, anxiously awaiting Miranda's call to rise and shine. It was their first Christmas as a family and they were excited for the day to start.

Pine Valley, PA  
December 25, 2005

David logged onto his computer early Christmas morning. Since he had, in essence, no family and no reason to celebrate, this was a day just like any other day for him. He opened his e-mail account and his heart stopped beating for a moment. He opened the e-mail, tears suddenly blurring his vision. He wiped away the offending moisture and re-read the message over and over again. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough for now:

From: Stone, Maggie (Maggie.stone(at)upmc.fr)  
Sent: Sunday, December 25, 2005 3:27 AM  
To: David Hayward  
Subject: Merry Christmas

Maggie

TBC- Christmas Day, the "Perfect" gifts, the cat gets a name (Finally!), etc…

Translations:  
"Regardez ce que vous avez fait!" "Look at what you've done!"  
"Regard! Regard!" "Look! Look!"  
"Ma voiture!" "My car!"  
"Regardez ce que vous avez fait à ma voiture!" "Look at what you've done to my car!"  
"Conducteur américain stupide!" "Stupid American driver"  
"!Oh, merde, j'ai pissé outre des Américains " "Oh, shit, I've pissed off the Americans..."  
"Je- je ne comprends pas," "I- I don't understand."


	6. So You Had a Bad Day

I fear I may be removed from some fanfic favorite lists after this chapter…

Disclaimer: Bianca, Maggie, Miranda, Kendall, Greenlee and the rest of the citizens of Pine Valley, blah, blah… blah… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

Ratings increase to R for strong language.

**These are the seasons of emotion and like the winds they rise and fall  
This is the wonder of devotion - I see the torch we all must hold.  
This is the mystery of the quotient - Upon us all a little rain must fall.**  
Led Zeppelin - _The Rain Song_

Chapter 6 –

Into Every Life a Little Rain Must Fall  
or  
The Shitteth has Hitteth the Fanneth

December 25, 2005  
Paris, France

Bianca rolled over in bed, surprised to be the first one up between her, Maggie and Miranda. Considering the date, she was sure Miranda would be up at the crack of dawn calling to her Mommie and 'Aggie to get out of bed and take her to her presents. Hell, she half expected Maggie to be a jitterbug all night, unable to sleep in anticipation of the morning to come, Miranda's joy and her own child-like excitement.

Beside her in bed, Maggie lay on her back, an arm tossed over her eyes. The blonde muttered something in her sleep then shifted a bit, her arm moving up a little onto her forehead.

Bianca spent several moments watching her lover sleep. She smiled at the pillow creases still lining Maggie's cheek and the way her eyelashes fell against her skin. She watched her deep, steady breathing and the way her lips parted before she muttered something again before shifting one more time.

"But I didn't _want_a doll for Christmas…" Maggie whined in her sleep, causing Bianca to chuckle softly to herself.

Still grinning, Bianca raised herself up on her elbow and rested her head in her hand, enjoying the quiet time. When Maggie's eyebrows knitted in confusion, Bianca was sorely tempted to reach up a gentle hand and smooth away the furrows caused by whatever she was dreaming about.

Suddenly, Maggie stretched, her arms going over her head, her back arching, her eyelids fluttering open. She yawned and attempted to recapture sleep by burrowing her head back into her pillow, turning towards Bianca's side of the bed and reaching out blindly for the brunette. Then she caught sight of Bianca beside her, wide awake and watching her sleep.

"Hey," she murmured drowsily.

Bianca smiled. "Hi."

Rolling onto her side to face Bianca, Maggie propped herself up on her elbow, mimicking Bianca's pose. "Were you watching me sleep?" she asked knowingly.

"Yeah."

Maggie made a face, squeezing one eye shut as she looked at Bianca. "I was snoring, wasn't I?"

Bianca chuckled. "No, Tiger, you weren't."

"Oh, good."

"But I'm glad I didn't get you a doll for Christmas."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Oh, man, tell me I wasn't talking in my sleep." Bianca just nodded. "That was the Worst. Christmas. Ever..."

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, Frankie and I wanted hockey skates. We wanted to play hockey so bad, we used to practice checking each other into the walls in our bedroom." Maggie grinned at the memory, remembering the gentle rough-housing she and Frankie shared. "We were going to play for the Rangers."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. They had just won the Stanley Cup and they had those cool jerseys..."

Bianca grinned. "I know _all_ about the jerseys..."

Maggie matched Bianca's grin with a lopsided one of her own. "Mmm, yeah..."

"So what happened?"

"Well, I got a doll instead." Maggie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Some stupid doll that talked, which was really creepy, and had these big eyes." She shuddered. "The thing scared me to death."

Bianca smiled at the vision of Maggie with a doll. "You don't really strike me as the doll type."

"Huh, I'm not," Maggie stated firmly. "I mean, jeez, I was 12 years old! What would I do with a freakin' scary doll?"

"Scary?"

"Hell, Binks, I think the thing was possessed!"

"What, like Chucky?"

Maggie shook her head, her eyes opening wide. "No, like on this episode of Night Gallery that I once saw. I mean, possessed, killer doll."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating just a little bit, Maggie?" Bianca asked in a slightly condescending, yet completely teasing, tone.

"I'm not kidding, Bianca, I think the thing ate my Winnie the Pooh." Bianca started chuckling at the sincere, mildly scared, look on Maggie's face. "Hey, don't laugh. Frankie got one of those Barbie heads that you can do her hair and make-up." At that, Bianca threw her head back and laughed. "I'm serious!"

Bianca tried to control her outburst to no avail. "I'm sorry, but the thought of Frankie with one of those Barbie heads, putting lipstick and eye shadow on it…"

"Man," Maggie sighed, watching Bianca laugh. She had a vision of the horror on Frankie's face as she looked at that life-sized Barbie head and found Bianca's laughter contagious. She started laughing with her. "That thing was just as creepy as the doll _I_ got."

As their laughter died down, Maggie looked into Bianca's eyes. The air suddenly crackled with intensity as their gazes locked and their emotions shown on their faces. Maggie lifted her hand and gently caressed Bianca's cheek. Bianca's breath caught in her throat as Maggie's touch caused an electric shock down her spine.

"Merry Christmas, Tiger," she managed to whisper.

Maggie grinned in response. "Merry Christmas, Boom-Boom," she replied, leaning in and capturing Bianca's lips with hers.

Trying hard not to laugh at the term of endearment bestowed upon her, Bianca returned Maggie's kiss. She felt gentle fingers slide to her nape, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened. Maggie leaned in further, pushing Bianca back onto the mattress, tangling her fingers deeper into Bianca's dark, silken hair.

"Mommie!" Miranda's voice suddenly called from the nursery. "Mommie!!"

Maggie gently broke the kiss then kissed Bianca once more. "I think you're being paged,_Mommie_."

"Yeah, well, don't get comfortable, _'Aggie_," Bianca responded, brushing her lips against Maggie's. "It's Christmas day, you know."

"Yeah, and you need me to put together all the toys you bought Miranda."

With a grin, Bianca slid out of bed and pulled one of Maggie's oversized sweatshirts on over her little tank top. "Ah, you know me so well." She leaned over Maggie and pressed a quick, hard kiss to her lips. "We'll discuss the whole 'Boom-Boom' thing later."

Maggie grinned back. "I'm looking forward to it…"

Not more than 10 minutes later, Bianca and Maggie led Miranda to the den. Kendall and Greenlee were waiting anxiously by the door, wanting to witness Miranda's first glimpse of the presents spilling out from under the tree.

Once the little girl saw the toys and other presents wrapped in brightly colored paper, she squealed with delight and ran toward the tree. Unsure of where to start, she toddled from one gift to another, hugging the Cookie Monster plushy tightly in her arms, only to drop it just as quickly to grab a huge silver bow that adorned a large box at her feet.

Maggie was capturing the scene on the video camera as Miranda chortled and danced from one gift to another. Bianca moved to sit near the little girl, smiling as she was handed a package. Apparently, this was an indication from Miranda that she wished to open this particular gift. Before Bianca got started, though, the little girl had moved on to a toy peeking out from under a load of gifts, the present in Bianca's hands momentarily forgotten.

With another happy shriek, Miranda turned and looked at Maggie, one finger in her mouth, the other hand reaching for a new plush, larger, Elmo that sat on the floor.

"Ehmo!" the little girl exclaimed, grabbing the doll and hugging it tightly. "Kitty! Look, Ehmo!" Taking the stuffed doll in her hands, she curled up in Bianca's lap and began to play, talking softly to the toy and giggling, the other presents seemingly forgotten.

"Well," Greenlee cracked, "that didn't take long."

"Give her 10 minutes," Maggie replied. "She'll be more interested in the bows and wrapping paper than the toys that came in them."

With the toddler happily ensconced in her mother's lap, the other gifts were passed out for everyone to open.

Presents were opened slowly, everyone taking their time to savor each and every gift.

While Greenlee and Kendall were sniping at each other about their gifts, platform heels and a book on how to keep a man respectively, Maggie and Bianca were opening their gifts to each other.

Bianca tore into the red and green foil paper, her face alit with anticipation. The bow went flying toward the cat and the animal attacked eagerly, batting it around before turning back to Bianca to see what would come flying its way next.

"Is this a comment on my height?" Greenlee snapped, holding up one shoe.

"Excuse me!" Kendall retorted, holding up a book entitled _The Complete Idiot's Guide to a Healthy Relationship_. "Just what the hell is _this_ supposed to mean?!"

Bianca, making a conscious effort to ignore the bickering duo, tugged the lid off the box in her lap, reaching in and pulling out the contents. "Maggie!" she yelled excitedly.

Maggie just grinned. "I decided you needed one of your own," she replied, watching the brunette run her fingers reverently over the gift. "I'll rip it off _you_ sometime..."

"Promise?" Bianca purred sexily, her head tilted so she could give Maggie a heated little glance.

"Please!" Kendall shouted, having overheard the conversation. "Gag!"

Bianca stuck her tongue out at her sister then turned her attention back to the gift in her lap. Rich royal blue in color, the red and white stripes bold against the dark background, the jersey was authentic down to the white-trimmed red letters spelling out RANGERS diagonally across the front.

"Turn it over," Maggie instructed.

Bianca gently turned the jersey over. On the back, also in red and trimmed in white, was a large number **1** and the name **BINKS** stitched above it in a perfect arch. Bianca lifted the jersey up, burying her face in the soft material. She peeked up at Maggie, the mesh material still covering half her face. "I love it. It's perfect."

"Good, because I had such a hard time trying to find you something that would be just right."

"This is just right."

Maggie gave Bianca a self-deprecating grin. "Give some credit to Reggie," she murmured. "He helped me out a lot."

"Reggie?" Greenlee asked. "My little brother, Reggie? Really?"

"Yes, Greenlee, really."

"Wow…" She shook her head. "I would have thought his hormones would cancel out any ability to think rationally… Who knew?"

"Well," Maggie shrugged. "You know teenage boys, it's either sex or sports."

"And Maggie," Kendall muttered.

Maggie's head whipped around. "What?"

"Teenage boys and Maggie," Bianca's sister reiterated. "You know, sex or sports."

"Hey!"

"Oh, don't be so offended, half-pint."

"Half-pint!" Maggie turned to Bianca." Aren't you going to defend me?"

Bianca shook her head, her eyes dancing. "Um, actually, Sweetie, I have to agree with Kendall here."

"Gee, thanks a lot."

"I'm sorry, Mags. How can I make it up to you?"

Maggie appeared to think about it for a moment, a finger to her cheek in contemplation. "Give me my present," she finally replied.

With a childlike grin, Bianca pulled out the large package and pushed it over to Maggie's side. It was large, larger than Maggie's gift to Bianca. And heavier, as well. Eagerly, Maggie attacked the gift, ripping the paper indiscriminately. It reminded Bianca of the time… well, never mind.

"Oh, my God," Maggie breathed as she folded back the tissue paper. Carefully, reverently, she pulled the gift from the box. "Bianca…"

The leather satchel, butter soft and the color of a chamois, was well-worn but not worn out. Near the bottom of the front flap, embroidered in the same color as the leather itself, were the initials M.S. Maggie's eyes hungrily took in every detail, from the burnished buckle on the shoulder strap to the soft wrinkles at the corners. Knowing some of the treasures that could be found in the little shops in the Latin Quarter, Maggie's breath caught in her throat.

"It's a book bag," Bianca explained needlessly as Maggie held the leather bag in her hands, fingers gently tracing the initials embroidered on the outside.

"Yeah, a _used_ book bag," Greenlee snarked.

"Shut up, Greenlee," Kendall and Bianca said simultaneously.

"I had your initials embroidered on it."

"B…," Maggie whispered. "This is incredible."

"Um, there's more."

"Oh?" Greenlee asked. "Is there a _new_ book bag in the bottom of the box?"

Kendall hit her step-sister/cousin/best friend in the face with a large ball of wadded up tissue paper, snapping Greenlee's head back in surprise. She lunged at Kendall in mock anger and they began a wrestling match to end all wrestling matches. The cat, intrigued by the weird humans, went over to assist them. Miranda giggled at her silly aunts, clapping her hands when Kendall pinned Greenlee, then chortling with joy when Greenlee slipped free and put Kendall in a headlock.

Bianca and Maggie ignored them.

Opening the book bag, Maggie found a heavy envelope, thick in texture, sticking out of one of the interior pockets. With slightly shaky fingers, she opened the envelope and pulled out the thick sheet of paper from inside. Knowing that Bianca was willing to do – or buy – anything for those she loved to make them happy, Maggie feared what the paper just might say. She unfolded the page to find the lettering to be in French.

_Certificat D'Authenticité_, it read.

"Bianca," Maggie breathed. "What did you do?"

Bianca smiled shyly. "It's just something I found down in the Latin Quarter one day…"

Maggie's hungry eyes devoured the paper, the Certificate of Authenticity. Her ability to read the French language far surpassed her knack for speaking it and she quickly understood everything written on the page.

"Marie Curie?" she asked in awe. "This book bag once belonged to Marie Curie?"

Now Bianca grinned. "Apparently she was a little like you are with blank journals," she explained. "She couldn't pass one up if she saw one in a store. I guess she had about 20 of them."

"So what are you telling me?" Maggie replied, wearing her classic lopsided Stone grin. "This isn't all that valuable?"

"Please," Bianca answered, playing along with a wave of her hand. "This old thing?"

Suddenly, Maggie launched herself at Bianca, knocking her onto her back. Then she started smothering Bianca in kisses. Giggling at the onslaught, Bianca wrapped her arms around Maggie's waist and held her close.

"I love it, I love it, I love it!" Maggie exclaimed between each peck. "It's the best Christmas present ever!"

Bianca reached up and brushed Maggie's hair back off her face. "Do you really like it?" she asked needlessly.

"Well, it sure beats the hell out of the possessed doll or Frankie's Hair and Make-up Barbie head…"

"Ya think?"

Instead of answering, Maggie lowered her head and smothered Bianca's lips with her own, intent on showing the brunette just how much she loved the gift. The kiss turned heated and passionate almost immediately.

"Oh, man, get a room," Greenlee groaned.

"Yeah," Kendall croaked, still clamped in Greenlee's headlock. Her free hand smacked at Greenlee's arm.

Maggie slowly broke the kiss, not too terribly inclined to cease one of her favorite pastimes. "Maybe I should say the same to the two of you," she smirked, taking in their position that consisted of tangled arms and cheek pressed to cheek.

Kendall managed to escape from Greenlee's grip and scramble a few feet away. She tousled her curls a little before answering, "Bite me, Stone," she muttered a tad unconvincingly.

"No, thanks, I've already had my fill."

"Ugh... gag!"

Quickly hoping to change the subject, Greenlee grabbed a brightly wrapped package and held it out. "Here!" she exclaimed a little too brightly. "This is for Miranda!"

"Jeez, Greens," Bianca murmured, taking the gift and showing it to Miranda. "No need to yell."

"Yell! Who's yelling?! I'm not yelling!" Greenlee paused for a moment. "Oh, God, I'm yelling…" She scratched her head. "I think I said 'yell' too many times, now it just sounds weird…"

Everyone gave Greenlee a look that said 'No, _you're_ weird' as she attempted to work out things in her head. Bianca gave her one last, pitying_ Greenlee's lost her mind yet again_ glance, then pulled Miranda into her lap to open the present. Starting the unwrapping with a gentle tug, she stopped as soon as Miranda got the hint and ripped the paper off the box.

"Hey, look, Munchkin," Maggie said to the little girl, helping her open the box. "What's that?"

"Tigger!" Miranda exclaimed as Maggie extricated the toy from the plastic bindings and set it on the floor. "Mommie! Tigger!"

"Yes, honey, I see Tigger."

"Tigger, 'Aggie!" Miranda said to Maggie, pointing at the toy and inadvertently touching the pink nose.

Suddenly, the toy sprang to life, music playing as it began a series of cartwheels across the floor, chattering loudly in Tigger-speak the whole way. Both Bianca and Maggie recoiled in shock as the doll made straight for Miranda.

"Leo!" Miranda shrieked as she shot up from her blanket and hid under the table. The cat, as called upon, attacked the offending toy, smacking it angrily with its little paws.

Tumble Time Tigger, continued to laugh in his typical Tigger way and recite phrase after phrase between rapping a Tigger tune. Finally, the cat pounced, knocking Tumble Time Tigger over. The toy laughed one more Tigger time, then ground to a halt. The kitten gave it one more swipe with its paw, then moved to Miranda's side under the coffee table, posting sentry like a knight guarding his queen.

Everyone sat in stunned silence for a moment, digesting what had just happened. If Greenlee's jaw had dropped open any further, it would have landed in her lap. Kendall's eyes were the size of dessert plates. Maggie stopped working on assembling the toy in her hands and looked at Bianca.

"Did she just call the cat Leo?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yep, she did," Bianca replied, nodding once, just as stunned as everyone else in the room.

"Well, I guess the cat has a name now." Maggie glanced down at the toy she still held, slowly setting it aside as she thought about what had just happened. "I always thought that cat was overly protective of Miranda."

"You don't think-."

Maggie snorted. "No, I don't." Then she looked at Bianca questioningly. "Do you?"

Bianca, still wide-eyed in shock, just shrugged. Maggie looked back at the toy she'd been putting together, wondering why the assembly instructions looked like they'd been written in Japanese. Then, with a shake of her head, she turned the paper over, from the Japanese instructions to the English version.

"Greenlee!" Kendall suddenly exclaimed. "That's the freakiest toy ever! Where the hell did you find that thing?!"

"Hey!" the diminutive woman snapped back. "It's supposed to be one of the hottest toys out this year!"

"Yeah, if you enjoy being freaked out." Kendall shook her head. "A doll that does cartwheels and raps to _Can't Touch This_?! Oh, and looks like a tiger… no, not too scary to a 21-month-old… a present to put my niece into therapy."

Greenlee snorted. "Oh, yeah, and those clown shoes you gave me are a _fantastic_ gift."

"Feepy…" Miranda agreed softly, nodding her head as she looked down at the Elmo doll in her hands. The cat meowed and moved closer to the little girl. "Leo-kitty."

After some intense coaxing and sincere promises that Tumble Time Tigger had been removed from the room, Miranda finally emerged from beneath the table and Christmas morning progressed.

Once all the presents had been opened, talk turned to dinner. Bianca had wanted to order the meal from a local restaurant, with fervent concurrence from Kendall and Greenlee, but Maggie wouldn't hear of it. It was their first Christmas as a family and she wanted the full experience, from cooking the turkey to making pumpkin pie.

Kendall made a conscious effort to avoid the kitchen, not only because she and cooking did not get along but also because, well, it _was_ the kitchen and Maggie and Bianca were in there. Somewhere between the preparation of the stuffing and the mashing of the potatoes, necking was bound to occur.

As she and Miranda sat playing with Leo-kitty and the new plush Elmo, Kendall heard a shriek.

"It's a _kitchen_, for Christ's sake!" Greenlee's voice shouted. "Oh, my God, I don't think _Emeril_ has this much action in his kitchen!" She rushed out, the door swinging behind her. "And the man has a_cooking_ show!"

"Well, you know how the saying goes," Maggie yelled after her. "'If you can't take the heat-!"

"Maggie!" Bianca exclaimed.

Seconds later, Greenlee entered the den muttering vociferously under her breath. Kendall was sure she heard the words 'horn dogs', 'porn stars' and 'puke'.

"You should know better," Kendall murmured.

"I thought maybe, you know, because it's Christmas, that they'd take a holiday or something," she replied, settling down next to Kendall and Miranda.

"What, like the government?"

Greenlee let her head drop onto the back of the sofa. "I know, I know..." She covered her face with her hands. "I've seen waaay to much BAM-love since I came with you to Paris."

Kendall quirked an eyebrow. "BAM-love?" she asked.

"_B_ianca _a_nd_M_aggie," Greenlee explained. "You know, one of those cute nicknames like Bennifer or something. Reggie came up with it."

"Reggie, I should have known."

Greenlee dropped her hands and grinned. "He calls us Kenlee."

"What?!"

"I prefer Grendall, but he wouldn't go for it."

"Excuse me?"

"Something about one part of the couple not being able to make up their own nickname."

"Couple?"

Greenlee contemplated it for a moment. "I kinda like Kenlee, it flows," she finally said, using her hand to demonstrate the flowing motion.

"Hey!" Kendall exclaimed. "Couple?"

"Oh, get over yourself. You could do worse than me." Greenlee got to her feet and headed toward the door. She stopped suddenly. "Oh, wait a minute, you _have_ done worse than me."

Dinner was served later that afternoon, following a lengthy phone call from Erica, Jack, Reggie and Lily. The meal was surprisingly good and rather extensive, from the roasted turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and rolls to the traditional jell-o salads and pumpkin pie for desert.

After clearing the table, they had retired to the den to relax. Miranda fell asleep almost before her head hit the pillow on her blanket, Leo curling up at her side. Greenlee wasn't far behind and before long was snoring loud enough to rattle the windows. Kendall kept smacking her awake, but as soon as she would drift off again, the snoring got louder. Bianca kept hiding her face in Maggie's neck to keep from laughing out loud as they all sat in awe of Greenlee's seemingly intriguing flaw.

No matter how hard the other three tried to concentrate on the DVD they were watching, every time Greenlee snored, they couldn't hold back their laughter. Maggie was in tears she was laughing so hard, but Kendall had finally had it.

"Good God, would someone just smother her with a pillow or something?!" she exclaimed. "I don't even like this stupid movie, but it's got to be better than Greenlee the Foghorn signaling ships at sea over there!"

Greenlee snored again, so loud this time she actually startled herself awake. Through her sleep-fogged gaze, she saw the others staring at her strangely. "What?"

Bianca burst out laughing. Maggie had to leave the room.

December 31, 2005  
Paris, France

Bianca sighed. "Why can't we just stay home?" she whined as she slipped an earring post in her left ear. "I really hate going out on New Years…"

Maggie moved up behind Bianca and pressed a kiss to her bare neck. "Come on, Binks, it's a party," she said, catching and holding chocolate brown eyes in the mirror. "Why do you hate it?"

"Uh, remember last year? Me in a hospital bed, you in a disastrous relationship with Jonathan… Plus, it always seems the tabloid photographers are out in force on New Years Eve."

"And you're afraid they'll get a picture of you kissing me?"

Bianca gave Maggie a sad look. "Aren't you?"

"Are you kidding?" Maggie replied with a grin. "I'm afraid they won't!"

"Maggie… be serious."

"I am serious, Bianca. I'm not ashamed of being with you. I'm not ashamed of us at all."

Bianca turned from the mirror to face Maggie, feeling the blonde's hands on her waist. "That means a lot to me, Maggie."

"Hmm," Maggie replied, leaning in to bury her face in Bianca's throat. "Means a lot to me, too…"

"Can I ask-," gasp "-when you… came to this… realization?"

Maggie smiled against Bianca's throat. "Might have been last night," she murmured. "Or the night before… Hmm, maybe it was Wednesday afternoon… No, no, Tuesday… Monday? You know, I can't really recall…"

Bianca's hands wound their way into Maggie's hair of their own accord. "You keep doing that, Tiger," she whispered, referring to the nuzzling and kissing she was currently enjoying, "and we'll never make it to this stupid party…" She paused. "Not that that would be so bad…"

At that, Maggie nipped once more at Bianca's tender flesh then pulled back. "Nope, come on, we're going to this party. You have to be there, Binks, you're the Chairperson of the Board."

"Stupid job," the brunette grumbled. "Do we have to stay long?"

Maggie tossed her a lopsided grin. "We'll put in an appearance then bolt for the door, I promise. Besides, we'll have Lucy and Ethel with us, we can't have them out in public together for too long or bad things could start to happen."

Bianca chuckled as she allowed Maggie to pull her towards the bedroom door. "Oh, yeah? What kind of trouble can they get in at this party?"

"Please, Binks, there'll be a Champagne fountain there. And you know their track record with fountains…"

"Okay, okay," Bianca moped. "But we bolt as soon as we can."

"Deal."

Martine had arrived just as Maggie and Bianca reached the living room and they said good night to Miranda before heading out. Kendall and Greenlee were already taking pot shots at each other on the way to the elevator, so Maggie took Bianca's hand and walked ahead of the other two, hoping to avoid all contact with them.

"I swear," Maggie murmured as they waited for the elevator. "I'm pushing them into the Seine if they don't shut this up…"

"Oh, sweetie," Bianca replied reassuringly. "I'm sure they will."

---------

_Slap!_

"Ow!" She rubbed her stinging hand. "What the hell was that for?!"

_Slap!_

"Dammit! Don't you slap me back!"

_Slap!_

_Slap!_

_Slap, slap!_

"Stop it!!" Maggie shouted from the driver's seat of the brand new Cambias Mercedes SG65 sedan they'd been provided. "Oh, my God! You're like 4-year olds! Miranda behaves better than you two!"

"She does not," Greenlee muttered.

"Does, too," Maggie replied.

"Does not," Kendall said sullenly.

Bianca reached out and put a hand on Maggie's arm. "Don't sink to their level, Maggie. Please."

Maggie sighed. "I'm really drinking tonight," she muttered. "Bianca, you better be able to drive home…"

"Big baby," Kendall muttered under her breath.

The light ahead was red and Maggie slammed to a stop. She turned to Kendall in the back seat. "Do you two even know _why_ you're slapping the shit out of each other?"

Kendall was stunned silent, trying to remember what had precipitated the open-palmed assault. "She started it!" she replied instead.

"I did not!" Greenlee shouted.

"Did, too!"

"Did not!"

"Oh, God," Bianca whispered, putting her hand to her forehead in a classic pose. "I think I'll be drinking, too."

--------

The Cambias party was being held at the ultra-posh Hotel de Crillon in the Place de la Concorde. Bianca had originally planned to have the party at the Ritz, but upon hearing that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes would be spending New Years there, she quickly changed her mind. The Crillon was much fancier, anyway.

After leaving the Mercedes with the Valet, Bianca led the way to the Salon des Aigles, where the 'reception' was actually being held, taking tight hold of Maggie's hand before entering the large room. Much to Bianca's relief, and amazement, no one even acknowledged her presence. Or the fact that she held tightly to the hand of a beautiful young woman many of attendees had never met.

Eventually, employees, shareholders and board members made their way to the Chairperson of the Board's reserved table, greeting Bianca as if she was a queen holding court. Maggie sat in awe of her girlfriend, watching the ease with which she handled each conversation, talking equally to the company inter-office mail personnel with the same respect she showed the old-money stockholders. It was obvious the rank and file of the Cambias empire admired and respected Bianca for this very reason.

Maggie grinned. This was the generous and giving heart of Bianca Montgomery. The heart that accepted Maggie on her arrival in Pine Valley, the heart that fell in love so completely with Maggie, despite all her flaws. And this was the heart that fought for Maggie throughout her disastrous, misguided relationship with Jonathan. This heart cared an awful lot more about the rank and file than it did for the privileged few who were in control.

After wishing a member of the security staff a Bonne Année, Bianca felt Maggie's eyes on her. She glanced over to see the blonde grinning. "What?"

"Do you know how amazing you are?" Maggie responded.

Bianca blushed and self-consciously swept a lock of hair behind her ear. "You're biased."

"No," Maggie said softly with a shake of her head. "I just see you like they do."

"Maggie..." With a sideways glance, Bianca matched Maggie's grin with one of her own. "Oh, Tiger, you are getting sooo lucky tonight..."

Maggie sat at the table with Greenlee and Kendall as Bianca addressed the assembled group, her speech given in flawless French. And while she was completely captivated by the beautiful woman with the microphone, Maggie kept finding her gaze drawn back to Kendall. As Bianca made her way back to the table, Maggie looked again at the curly haired woman.

Ms. Hart was nursing her third Bombay Sapphire martini, up and dirty with extra olives, her eyes scanning the crowd. To Maggie, she looked like a lioness on the African savannah, hoping to catch a glimpse of a wildebeest or injured antelope she could bring down quickly for a feeding.

_Oh, my God_, Maggie thought, watching Bianca's sister bemusedly. _She's on the prowl!_

Greenlee caught Maggie's bewildered look out of the corner of her eye then glanced at Kendall. Her best friend's eyes were glued to something - or rather, someone - across the room and Greenlee followed the laser-like gaze. Hmm, thirty-something, tall, extremely good looking.

"Gay," she declared.

"Excuse me?" Bianca asked.

"That guy over there, in the Hugo Boss suit. He's gay."

"Is that your expert opinion?"

"Please, are you kidding? He's got on an 800 dollar wool suit, a 100 dollar XMI tie and he's wearing a gold Cartier watch. He's gay."

Maggie stared at Greenlee. "You can see his _watch_ from here?" she asked in awe.

Bianca just grinned. "I'm glad your gaydar is working so well, Greenlee. I'll be sure to let his wife and three kids know he's hiding something from them."

Throughout the conversation, Kendall's eyes never strayed. Maggie watched in morbid fascination as Bianca's sister practically devoured the man with her stare. Swirling her silver cocktail pick skewering three olives around in her martini glass, Kendall eyed the poor guy like the aforementioned lioness. Ever so delicately, she lifted the olives to her lips and swirled her tongue around the alcohol-soaked garnish. Biting gently into the green flesh of the olive, she slid it off the stick and into her mouth, chewing slowly and seductively.

Maggie suddenly felt as if she'd been watching a how-to video on the art of seduction using only gin, olives, lips, teeth and tongue. She gulped, imagining Bianca using the same technique.

"Bianca," she said softly, never taking her eyes off Kendall, yet leaning close in order to keep her voice lowered. "I think your sister is horny."

Bianca reared back and gave Maggie a horrified look. "Excuse me?"

"I'm serious, B. She's been leering at every man who comes into her line of vision and she just undressed Mr. Gay with three kids over there with her eyes so completely, _I_ can see him in his boxers."

"Maggie, please," Bianca beseeched. "That's a great way to ruin the evening for me."

"Yeah, well, unless I drink more, it's ruined for me, too." She shook her head. "Visions... too many visions..."

Bianca glanced around. "I think if we act nonchalant, we can skip out of here and go home," she whispered conspiratorially.

Maggie's eyes lit up. "Let's go." She turned to the other two women, Kendall still leering and Greenlee looking supremely bored. "Come on," she said. "We're leaving."

"Oh, thank God!" Greenlee exclaimed, leaping to her feet. "Come on, Stretch, let's go."

Kendall shook herself out of the daze she was in. "What?"

"I said come on, we're going home."

"No, what did you call me?"

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Stretch?" She grabbed Kendall by the arm and started pulling her discretely towards the door. "Come on, you sorry excuse for a hat rack, time to go home now." She glanced ahead of them and saw that Bianca and Maggie were out of earshot. "Let's not forget there's a _Mr._ Kendall Hart back in Pine Valley, and he's probably venting steam like a busted pipe."

Kendall glared at Greenlee. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she snapped.

"It means you can't be drooling after that gay guy, or acting on any attractions to the gay guy or _Mr. Hart _will be furious."

"_Mr. Hart_ can kiss my ass."

Greenlee grinned knowingly. "I'm sure he would if you'd let him."

Then Kendall glanced at Greenlee in confusion. "What gay guy?"

"Oh, come _on_! Tall, dark and Hugo Bossed!" Greenlee shook her head once more. "He was _so_ gay."

"No, he wasn't," Kendall replied with a laugh. "Man, you suck at the whole gaydar thing, don't you?"

"Huh, and what makes you so special?"

"Excuse me? My _sister_?"

"What, so you get it by osmosis? You know what? Never mind. Just get in the car." And she gave the taller woman a gentle shove toward the Benz.

Still laughing, Kendall slid into the plush leather rear seat of the luxury car. After Greenlee had done the same and everyone was buckled up, Maggie made the drive back to the apartment. Bianca had decided that the midnight hour would be spent on the balcony, the four of them toasting the New Year with champagne and witnessing the spectacular fireworks display at the Eiffel Tower from the comfort of their own home.

After Martine had bid them a good night and a happy new year, she left. Miranda was ready for bed, so Bianca and Maggie did the honors, putting the sleepy little girl down with her Elmo and Leo. Kendall and Greenlee found a nice bottle of Dom Perignon and four crystal flutes and, after changing into jeans and sweatshirts to ward off the chill, they all retired to the balcony.

As midnight neared, they could hear the other tenants of the building beginning the countdown. Maggie slid closer to Bianca and wrapped an arm around her waist, feeling Bianca's arm slip around her shoulders.

"Ten... nine... eight...," they counted, along with the Ferrare's, the del Combre's and the Reynard's who all lived below them.

"Hey, Binks?" Maggie whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Five… four…"

"This is going to be the best year ever."

Bianca smiled into Maggie's eyes. "Any year with you is the best, Tiger."

"Two… one…"

"Happy New Year!" Kendall and Greenlee shouted.

"Bonne Année!" the neighbors yelled simultaneously.

"I love you, Maggie," Bianca murmured, her eyes locked on Maggie's glowing, happy face.

"I love you, too, Boom-Boom."

With a laugh, Bianca leaned in and captured Maggie's lips with her own. Beyond them on the horizon, the sky lit up with fireworks falling down around the Eiffel Tower, showering the sky with color.

Kendall and Greenlee looked at each other then awkwardly leaned in, kissing each other on the cheek. They quickly pulled apart, Greenlee wiping the lipstick off her skin, Kendall taking a huge gulp of champagne.

"Aw, crap," Greenlee muttered, reaching out. "Come here, you giant walking stick." And she pulled Kendall into her arms in a warm sisterly hug.

"If you don't stop this," Kendall replied. "I'm going to think you actually like me."

"Don't flatter yourself."

Kendall pulled back. "You're a pretty good sister when you want to be, you know that?"

"Yeah, well, it's the champagne."

"That figures." There was a long pause. "You sweet little shortcake, you…"

Greenlee made a concerted effort to ignore Kendall, her eyes on the horizon watching the fireworks display filling the night sky. She didn't see Kendall's little smile, but she could feel her own.

Maggie and Bianca were still locked in a deep and passionate kiss. If it weren't for the fireworks going off behind their closed eyelids, they wouldn't have seen any of the show at all.

January, 2006  
Paris, France

As the New Year began, the house was full of laughter and mirth. Kendall and Greenlee would exit each morning to visit some corner of the city, only to return with stories of getting lost, buying something, or ordering an extremely weird food item at a café or restaurant. Each and every tale required both of them to speak, sometimes cutting each other off, sometimes finishing the others sentences, many times arguing over what actually happened.

Maggie had a few more weeks off before her next semester began at school and she was enjoying the time away from studying. As expected, each year would increase in difficulty and she knew she would have to give this semester everything she had. She wanted this medical degree more than anything. Well, anything besides Bianca and Miranda.

One day while Bianca had joined Kendall and Greenlee on one of their misguided and adventurous outings, Maggie made her way behind the huge TV, messing with wires and connections, trying to figure out the cable system hook-up. Relying on things taught to her by the cable-sharking Jamie Martin, Maggie finally managed to hack the system. With a grin at Miranda, she began flipping through the stations, finding all the premium channels were now at her fingertips.

Stopping suddenly at a hockey game, Maggie grinned. Somehow she had managed to capture the NHL Season Ticket channel. Before her, in 46" full-color plasma glory, was a tape-delayed repeat of a New York Rangers game. And they were playing their hated rivals, the New Jersey Devils…

"Okay, Miranda," she said, taking the child into her lap. "Time to learn about one of the most important things in life." She waited until the little girl looked up into her eyes. "Rangers hockey."

"'Okee!" Miranda giggled.

"Yes, hockey. Can you say 'Go, Rangers'?"

"Go, Wangers!" the little girl replied.

Maggie grinned. "Very good!" She tugged at the little replica Messier jersey Miranda wore with blue sweatpants. "You're going to have to thank Uncle Reggie for the Rangers jersey next time you see him, you know. He's very wise."

"Unca Weggie!"

"Okay, here we go." Settling the little girl on the sofa beside her, Maggie turned her attention to the game. "Remember, Munchie, you're wearing the jersey of one of the best to ever play the game."

"'Kay." Miranda replied. Then she sat quietly, her gaze going from her 'Aggie to the TV and back again. Beside her, Leo curled up to sleep. In her hands, her brand new Elmo plushy. She leaned against Maggie's side and watched the game.

It was halfway through the first period and the Rangers were up 2-1. Jaromir Jagr had one goal and one assist and the Rangers were really taking good shots on Martin Brodeur. Maggie was shouting at the TV with each play and Miranda was giggling with delight at her actions.

"Aw, shit," Maggie groaned just moments after the Devils scored a goal.

"Shit!" Miranda echoed.

Maggie jumped at Miranda's shout. Quickly, she put her hand over the child's mouth and looked around, hoping Bianca was still out and hadn't overheard. "No, no, no, Miranda, you can't say that!"

Miranda looked at Maggie curiously then resorted to the one word question utilized by children world-wide. "Why?"

"Well," Maggie said with a grimace. "It's a bad word."

"'Aggie say it," Miranda replied with innocent logic.

"Yeah, but 'Aggie shouldn't have."

Miranda gave Maggie a look of confusion then shrugged. "Otay," she agreed, turning back to Elmo.

"Shit!" Maggie exclaimed as the Devils scored again only moments later.

"Shit!" Miranda echoed again.

"Miranda!"

"What?"

This was a losing battle and Maggie knew it. "Just don't say it in front of your mother," she said with a sigh.

"Otay."

"Crap!" Maggie screamed, watching as the Devils managed yet another goal.

"Cwap!" Miranda echoed.

"Miranda!"

"'Aggie!"

Maggie started at the sound of the front door opening. Oh, she had a bad feeling about this. Moments later, Bianca entered the den with a smile, moving to Maggie's side to give her a kiss. Maggie returned the kiss, never taking her eyes off the television and the game as the Rangers were on the power play. Bianca noticed her distraction and tilted her head.

"Um, Maggie?" she asked.

"Mmhmm?" the blonde replied, barely paying attention.

"How did you get that channel?"

"I hacked it."

Bianca looked impressed. "I never knew you could do that."

"Apparently, I never knew I could either."

"I guess living with Jamie was good for something, huh, sweetie?" She watched the game for a moment, interested in something Maggie really seemed to be enjoying. That's when she noticed the jersey's being worn by the players on the ice. "Hey, Mags, you and that team match. I have one of those jerseys."

"Yeah, sweetie," she grinned, running a hand down her Richter jersey. "It's the Rangers and the Devils."

"The who and the what?"

Suddenly, Maggie shot up from the couch. "Score!" she shouted as Martin Rucinsky slotted one past Brodeur. "Yes!!"

Miranda jumped in surprise. Bianca just shook her head.

"Shit!" Miranda crowed, a big pleased grin on her face at showing her mother the newest word in her vocabulary.

"Miranda!" Maggie exclaimed.

"Maggie!" Bianca shouted, shooting the blonde a look.

"What?"

Bianca just looked at Maggie. The blonde had the decency to look sheepish, but her eyes kept straying back to the television. Bianca sighed.

"You better hope she never says that in front of my mother…"

Maggie blanched.

In the beginning of February, Maggie returned to classes and Bianca to the boardroom, and life fell back into a comfortable pattern. Kendall and Greenlee took great pride in being Miranda's nannies at this point, returning time and time again to the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay. Or back to Notre Dame, which appeared to be a favorite of Miranda's.

As Maggie had feared, her classes were becoming more and more challenging. Many times she would be frustrated with her seeming inability to absorb the material, despite the fact that she was still excelling in every class she took. Bianca could sense when Maggie needed to step away from her learning and made every effort to ensure the blonde never let anything weigh her down or discourage her.

They appeared to have become a pretty good team.

--------

Ensconced in her plush office at Cambias Headquarters, Bianca perused the financial document in her hand again, trying to figure out why a company leaking funds like a sieve would be a good purchase for Cambias when her intercom buzzed.

"Mademoiselle Montgomery?" her assistant Guylene said.

"Yes?"

"The consultant for Lukor Polska is on line one." Bianca marveled again at the girl's perfect English. All the employees at Cambias were multi-lingual, so, luckily, she didn't need to rely on her French to carry a conversation very often. "Shall I put her through?"

"Yes, please. Thank you, Guylene." She had been expecting this call. This was actually a profitable company Cambias wanted to snatch up. Bianca picked up the phone, took a deep breath, then pressed the button for line one. "This is Bianca Montgomery."

"Bianca?" the heavily accented voice on the other end of the line replied.

Bianca was so shocked at hearing the familiar voice that the phone almost slipped from her suddenly nerveless fingers. "Lena?" she croaked.

"Oh, Bianca, it's so good to hear your voice!" Lena Kundera gushed over the line. "How are you?"

"I- I'm fine. How are you, Lena? It's been a while."

"I'm doing well, Bianca. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be talking to you!"

While Lena spoke, Bianca's mind was racing a million miles a minute. _Oh, my God, it's Lena! LENA! _she thought. _Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God! Maggie's going to freak! Shit! Maybe I can tell her Jonathan died again and she won't notice when I slip Lena's name into the conversation. Aw, crap! I should have known things were going too smoothly..._ When Bianca noticed the silence on the line, she realized Lena had finished talking. Now it was her turn. Dear Lord, what was she going to say? What had Lena just asked?! If Bianca could run screaming from her office right now, she'd so it. And she'd probably leave a vapor trail behind...

"Bianca?" Lena asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lena. My assistant had some papers she needed me to sign right away."_Nice recovery, Montgomery, very slick... _"What were you saying?"

"I asked how you liked living in Paris."

"Oh, we love it," she replied sincerely.

"We?"

"Miranda, Maggie and I."

There was a long pause while Lena digested this information. "Maggie's with you?"

"Yes."

"Is she visiting, or..." she left the inquiry hanging, trying not to appear too curious.

_Someone's on a little fishing expedition, _Bianca thought. "No, she came with me when I moved here in February. We came together. At the same time." Bianca rolled her eyes. _Jeez, Binks, redundant much?_

"Oh. And how is she?" As if she cared.

Now, Bianca grinned with genuine affection. "She's great. She's enrolled at Pierre et Marie Curie, back in medical school and really enjoying it. And she's so good with Miranda, they love each other so much..."

"How are you, Bianca?"

"I'm fine, Lena." Bianca paused, looking down at the ring on her finger, a smile slowly curling her lips. She thought of the night Maggie had given it to her, the words she'd said. _Time to nip this in the bud_, she thought. "Actually, I've never been happier. Maggie and I are in love and we're extremely committed to each other. We're raising Miranda together as a family. This move to Paris has been the best time of my life."

There was stunned silence on Lena's end of the phone. "You and... and Maggie?" Then the Polish woman chuckled a little sadly. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. You two were always very close."

"Well, she's always been my best friend," Bianca reminded her gently. "Our time over here, being together without all the madness of Pine Valley... well, we became even closer. I love her very much and she loves me."

"I'm very happy for you, Bianca," Lena finally said, her voice just a little huskier than it had been a moment before. Losing Bianca Montgomery, even though you never really had her to begin with, still hurt with an unimaginable pain. "I wish you two the very best."

"Thank you, Lena."

"So, to business."

"Yes, please. Tell me about Lukor. Why should Cambias consider acquiring it?"

For the next twenty minutes, they discussed the machine manufacturing company that Lena represented. A rapidly growing company, Cambias would do well to add it to their long list of successful subsidiaries. It would be beneficial to both companies if the purchase were to happen.

"We'll set up a meeting for the next time you're in Paris," Bianca said finally. Her head was spinning just a bit from all the facts and figures, but she had gotten the gist of it, which meant more profit for the bottom line. "It sounds very promising and I'm sure the rest of the board will agree with me."

"I look forward to it, Bianca. Maybe we could get together while I'm there and have drinks? You, me and Maggie."

Bianca swallowed hard. "Well, I'll check with her and see what her schedule is, but we'll certainly try."

"Good. I'll wait to hear from you." There was a moment of silence as Lena attempted to size up the situation once more. "It was wonderful to hear your voice again, Bianca, I've missed you very much."

"It was great to talk to you, too, Lena. It's been a long time." Bianca paused. "I'll tell Maggie you send your best. To both her and the two of us."

"Yes," Lena said softly, realizing once and for all there was no chance for her with Bianca. "Please do so… Good-bye, Bianca."

"Good-bye, Lena."

Letting go of the breath she seemed to have been holding since first hearing Lena's voice, Bianca replaced the handset to its cradle. Putting her hand to her forehead, she leaned back in her leather chair, willing her heartbeat to slow down. Oh, man, Lena Kundera. How on earth was she supposed to tell Maggie about this? Checking her stainless steel Movado, she decided that she had put in a full day and could leave at 2:30 if she wanted to. She needed to see Maggie. To hold her close and tell her again just how much she loved her.

That night, Bianca was a nervous wreck. The thought of even mentioning her afternoon phone call to Maggie was terrifying because she knew nothing good would come out of it. But she also knew she had to tell Maggie about it because if, by some coincidence, the blonde found out about it later, it would only make things worse. Bianca had made a promise to herself when she and Maggie became serious that she would never keep anything from her partner ever again. She never wanted something lurking in the background, waiting for the opportunity to strike and destroy what they shared.

They were in the den, Bianca watching another badly dubbed American television show on the flat screen TV, Maggie hunched over a thick medical text. Greenlee and Kendall had taken Miranda for the evening, promising her McDonald's and ice cream for dinner.

The silence in the den was comfortable, like it almost always was between the two of them. Conversation was never required for them to be at ease with each other. Just being in each other's presence was always enough for them.

Unfortunately, that was about to change...

Bianca cleared her throat. "I got an interesting call today…," she managed to choke out. "From Lena…"

Maggie stopped what she was doing, becoming frighteningly still. "Please tell me you mean Lena Olin from '_Alias_'."

"She, uh, she said to tell you hello." Bianca smiled nervously. "Hello."

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me."

"No, really." Bianca saw the look on Maggie's face. "Okay, okay. It was a total surprise, Maggie. She's a consultant for this company we're looking at buying. When I heard her voice on the other end of the phone, I nearly passed out."

"What did you talk about?"

"Well, she asked I liked living in Paris and I told her we loved it."

"'We'?"

"You, me and Miranda. I told her right away that you were with me."

"I'll bet that made her day..." Maggie muttered. "Did you tell her about us?"

Bianca nodded. "Repeatedly. She knows I love you and you love me."

"Yeah, sure... I'll just bet she believes that wholeheartedly," she replied, looking away and trying to get back to what she was doing before.

"Maggie..." Bianca whispered, reaching out to put a comforting hand on Maggie's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, everything is peachy-keen fine," Maggie snapped. She attempted to focus her concentration on whatever was in front of her. Seconds later, she let out a breath of frustration, slamming her textbook shut. "Augh!!"

Bianca, startled enough to jump at the sound of the slamming book, pulled her hand back and looked at Maggie. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"You're lying."

"No."

There was a beat of silence in the room, something more akin to an uncomfortable pause, an air of uncertainty coupled with pent up aggravation looming over them.

"I don't like the fact that you spoke to her," Maggie mumbled under her breath but not soft enough for Bianca to avoid hearing.

Bianca's head jerked up. "I'm sorry?" she asked incredulously. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm trapped in some sort of Pine Valley time warp?"

Maggie put her elbows on the desk then put her head in her hands. "Every time there was a barrier between us, its name was Lena."

Bianca didn't really appreciate where this was leading. "Or Henry. Or Jamie," she snapped back, suddenly defensive and angry.

"Oh, come on, B," Maggie replied. "We both know that wasn't serious. Lena was. Lena wanted you."

"We know that wasn't serious? How serious was 'I'm into guys', Maggie?" Bianca glared at her partner. "And don't you dare even think about that weak-ass 'I was confused' line."

Maggie spun around in her chair. "What?!" she asked. "And what were you when I finally confessed my feelings for you last year? Was that confusion on your part, too?" she countered. "Oh, no, you were committed to Lena! Funny, there's that name again…"

"There you go again, hung up on Lena for no apparent reason. Have you listened to a word I've said? I guess not."

"Excuse me?" Maggie exclaimed, leaping to her feet. "No apparent reason?! I told you I was in love with you and what did you do? You told me you were committed to Lena. Lena, Lena, Lena!! Shit, that's all I ever heard from you!"

"Are you serious?_You're_ the one who insisted I go to Poland to be with her!"

"Jesus, Bianca, you didn't get it then and you don't get it now. Do you know how sick I was hearing all about Lena? I WAS IN LOVE WITH YOU! I _told_ you I was in love with you! And then Lena sends you that stupid airline ticket and we never talked about it again!"

"I don't understand why we're talking about stuff from last year."

"We're not. We're talking about Lena. Oh, and don't get me started on Babe and your sanctimonious worship for her." Maggie wavered between annoyance, anger, frustration and all out fury. She ran her hands through her hair. "Goddammit!"

"You know," Bianca said in a deadly calm voice, "if I recall correctly, you were _busy_ with Jamie at the time."

"I'm sorry, was I supposed to be pining away for you?"

"You were with Jamie before you made your little confession."

The room stilled as those ill-chosen words hung in the air for a moment.

"My 'little confession'?" Maggie asked in a cold, hurt voice. "Did it mean that little to you?"

"Maggie-."

"Do you know how fucking hard it was for me to tell you that I loved you? How desperate I was for you to notice me just a little bit?"

Bianca snorted derisively. "Oh, yeah, Maggie, I think I've got an idea. Probably about as much as I wanted you to notice me for years! Years, dammit!"

"Years? Years?! Does that include all the years you spent with Lena? Lena, who slept with Michael. Lena, who tried to steal from you and Erica. Lena, whom9 you kept forgiving and forgiving, no matter how many unforgivable things she did!"

"What was I supposed to do, Maggie? Was I supposed to pine away for _you_?! You only have to tell me so many times that you're straight before I get it! Oh, wait, I was supposed to be all pathetic and wait around for you to give me the time of day while you were running after any man who crossed your path!"

"You weren't supposed to be with her!"

"Dammit, Maggie! What the hell is your problem with Lena?"

Maggie ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "I can't believe this," she muttered to herself.

"What can't you believe?"

"How you can be so goddamned naive!"

Bianca's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Excuse me?"

"She used you, Bianca. And you didn't seem to mind. Not only that, you kept taking her back!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Christ, Bianca, she tried to steal from you. You took her back. You found out she slept with Michael. You took her back. Every time she did something, you took her back!"

Knowing that was true to an extent, Bianca turned away from Maggie. "Are you afraid it'll happen again?" she asked softly.

"There've only been a few times in my life when I've been truly afraid, Bianca," Maggie replied, her eyes on the brunette's back, willing her to turn around and face her. "I mean scared to death. One was that day in court when you admitted killing to Michael Cambias. There was the helicopter crash and I couldn't find you and when I did, you never moved. You never opened your eyes and told me you would be fine. Watching what you in that coma, not knowing if you'd ever wake up, if you'd hear what I was telling you." Maggie paused. She so desperately wanted to wrap her arms around Bianca's waist but knew the gesture would not be welcome. But she wanted that connection to her partner, her lover. "And whenever Lena's around," she muttered in a gravelly tone. "I try not to be scared of a lot of things, Bianca, but she scares me most of all. How can I compete with her? How do you not choose her over me?"

Bianca spun around to face Maggie, her eyes sorrowful yet angry. "How do you compete with Lena? How do I not choose her over you?" Bianca shook her head and gave a rueful little laugh. "You know, for as smart as you are, you can be so... _stupid _sometimes."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, dammit, that I love you. _You_. You're the one I want to be with, the one I love with my heart and soul. And you still question that. How many times do I have to tell you before you believe me, Maggie? Before you realize that I mean it. Lena is in my past. You and Miranda are my present. And my future. I don't know how many times I can reassure you of that, Maggie, but I can tell you I'm getting tired of doing so!"

"Hey, can you two keep it down in here?" Kendall asked sarcastically as she stuck her head into the room, not knowing what she was getting in the middle of. "I don't think the tourists at the top of the Eiffel Tower heard you guys."

Maggie shot a glare at Kendall. "Shut up, Kendall. Stay the hell out of this. We don't need you butting in on our conversation."

"Hey! Don't you dare talk to my sister like that," Bianca growled, her eyes burning with anger.

"Bianca, she's always in our business. I can never have a peaceful moment alone with you without Curly Sue here sticking her face in where it doesn't belong."

"Hey!" Kendall shouted. "I take offense to that."

Bianca brought a hand to her forehead, an obvious mannerism displaying her upset. "Kendall, do me a favor. Can you and Greenlee take Miranda somewhere? I don't want her hearing any of this."

"Fine, fine." Stepping back, she pulled the door to the den closed, off in search of Greenlee and her niece. Kendall rushed into the living room. She grabbed both her coat and Greenlee's, along with Miranda's and tossed them to her friend. "Come on, we're going out."

"Kendall!" Greenlee flailing her arms and trying to fend off the flying coats. "What's going on?"

"Out. We're going out. There's trouble in paradise and the munchkin here shouldn't be around to hear it." Her ears suddenly perked up, the sounds of shouting carrying out the closed door of the den and into the living room. "What are you waiting for? The next French Revolution? Let's go!"

"Alright! Alright!" Greenlee quickly slipped on her coat and then Miranda's. While being hustled down the entry hall, she couldn't help but cringe at the sounds of Bianca and Maggie snapping at one another. She looked down at Miranda and smiled comfortingly. "It's okay, little one. We're just going on an adventure."

Miranda frowned. There was no mistake that she heard the shouting from down the hallway. "Mommie mad. 'Aggie mad. Loud." Huge tears threatened to spill from the little girl's eyes. It was obvious the shouting frightened her.

"Don't worry, Mimo," Kendall assured the little girl. "It'll all be okay." She shot one last look over her shoulder as she ushered them down the entry hall to the door. As the voices from the den escalated and Greenlee led the way out the front door, Kendall said a short prayer that her reassuring words to the child were true...

Once she heard the door close, Bianca spun around and faced Maggie. "I'm not going to argue about this with you, Maggie! This is ridiculous!"

"Oh, come on, Bianca! Are you really that dense?!"

Bianca's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It's LENA!" Maggie shouted, her arms flung out wide. "She doesn't like to lose. She especially doesn't like to lose _you_!"

"_She_ doesn't_ have_ me _to_ lose! You're being completely irrational!"

"_I'm_ being irrational? Well, you're being deliberately obtuse!"

Bianca's eyes widened. "Did you just say obtuse?!"

"What? Are you insulting my intelligence now?" Maggie huffed. "You heard me. I swear, Bianca, sometimes I think you _like_ have the two of us fighting over you!"

The silence that fell over the room as Maggie's words died away was heavy with hurt. The fight drained out of Bianca in a rush and she lowered her eyes. Maggie grimaced, knowing she had crossed the line.

"Good night, Maggie," Bianca said softly, exiting the den and turning toward the staircase and their bedroom. The door she had flung open reverberated so hard after having hit the doorstop that for a moment it appeared one or more pane of glass would break.

"Dammit!" Maggie exclaimed, angry at herself for saying something so stupid and hurtful. Something so mean and totally untrue. "Bianca, wait."

Bianca stopped at the foot of the stairs, but kept her back to Maggie, who had hurried out of the den after the brunette. "I'm tired now, Maggie," she murmured, a hand on the banister, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I want to go to bed."

"Fine," Maggie replied, moving closer to where Bianca stood, but not touching her. "But, please, let's not go to bed mad. I don't want us to go to bed mad. I don't ever want us to go to bed and the last thing we say to each other is _not_ 'I love you'." Carefully, she reached out and took hold of Bianca's arm, turning her around. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "God, Bianca, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I got so crazy, but Lena_makes_ me crazy. I don't like her and I never will."

"I don't understand why you let her get to you," Bianca whispered.

"Because, B, she still loves you. And, trust me, she still wants you." Maggie sighed when Bianca stayed stubbornly silent. "I'm afraid to lose you," the blonde admitted huskily. "I couldn't take it if I lost you, Bianca. Not now, not when I finally got it right."

"Do I need to paint it on my forehead, take out a billboard? You are NOT going to lose me. God, why do you keep doubting yourself? It feels like you doubt our love too."

"I'm not," Maggie swallowed the huge lump that formed in her throat. "I don't doubt our love."

"It sure sounds like it."

"I don't! I just-." Maggie stopped and put her hands to her head, pushing her hair back behind her ears. "I still have a hard time believing-."

"Don't say it, Maggie," Bianca warned. "Don't you dare use that stupid excuse of not believing that I could love you."

"What the hell do you want me to say, Bianca?" Maggie challenged belligerently.

"You know what," Bianca snapped. "If you have to ask then it's not worth discussing. Good night, Maggie."

"Bianca-."

Bianca turned and stormed up the stairs. When she spoke again, her voice was firm, final. "Good _night_, Maggie."

"Son of a bitch!" Maggie growled under her breath. Still angry at herself, Lena and Bianca, she stomped into the den and threw herself onto the sofa, throwing her arm over her eyes.

She kicked at the couch with her heel as tears welled up and overflowed.

TBC-


	7. Sorry Seems to Be

Same disclaimer as before…

Rating returns to PG-13

**What have I got to do to make you love me  
What have I got to do to make you care  
What do I do when lightning strikes me  
And I wake to find that you're not there  
What do I do to make you want me  
What have I got to do to be heard  
What do I say when it's all over  
And sorry seems to be the hardest word  
It's sad, so sad  
It's a sad, sad situation  
And it's getting more and more absurd  
It's sad, so sad  
Why can't we talk it over  
Oh it seems to me  
That sorry seems to be the hardest word  
What do I do to make you love me  
What have I got to do to be heard  
What do I do when lightning strikes me  
What have I got to do  
What have I got to do  
When sorry seems to be the hardest word**  
Elton John - _Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word_

Chapter 7

February , 2006  
Paris, France

Wednesday, February 7:

When Maggie woke up the next morning, curled up on the couch, she felt tears stinging her eyes yet again. It was the first night she and Bianca had spent apart since they started sharing a bed. Pulling the yellow afghan up over her shoulders, she curled up into a ball and wept.

-----

Upstairs in the master suite, Bianca rolled over in bed, her eyes falling onto Maggie's pillow. _She didn't come to bed last night_, she thought, reaching out a hand to touch the cold linen. Tears suddenly streaming down her face, Bianca pulled the pillow into her arms, burying her face in the downy softness, taking a deep breath and inhaling Maggie's scent.

The pain she felt in her heart this time was almost more than she could bear…

"_Don't say it, Maggie," Bianca warned. "Don't you dare use that stupid excuse of not believing that I could love you."_

"_What the hell do you want me to say, Bianca?" Maggie challenged belligerently. _

"_You know what," Bianca snapped. "If you have to ask then it's not worth discussing. Good night, Maggie."_

"_Bianca-."_

_Bianca turned and stormed up the stairs. When she spoke again, her voice was firm, final. "Good night, Maggie."_

Oh, God, they'd been so cruel last night. Said things Bianca was sure they'd never say to each other ever in their lives. The pain and the anger were still fresh in Bianca's mind and heart.

She wondered how long it would take before things would ever be settled between them.

-----

Something was poking her in the hip. Rolling over, Maggie reached beneath the sofa cushions and dug around. Her fingers locked onto something and she tugged free whatever it was she had found.

Her heart beat painfully in her chest when she opened her hand and saw the chunk of lapis lazuli that Bianca had given her for Christmas, her name engraved on its surface, lying in her palm. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes as she thought about it. Bianca had a habit of taking the piece of stone from Maggie's bag and holding it in her hands, running her fingers over the engraving repeatedly.

Maggie's eyes drifted from the blue lapis she held in her hand to the ring on her finger. Her mind took her back to the night the rings were exchanged, the loving, intense words that were spoken. The way she meant them with every fiber of her being.

"_I may have done some really dumb things in my life," she said softly, holding the ring in one hand, while taking Bianca's hand in the other, "and I will without a doubt do dumb things in the future, because, well, I'm Maggie Stone and apparently that's the way I've been written. And I'm going to have these days when I'm still insecure and I'll find it impossible to believe that someone like you can really love, and be in love with, someone like me. But I promise you, Bianca Montgomery, that I will never willingly turn my back on you and walk away. Never." Maggie's voice broke and she felt a tear tracking down her cheek. "This is my promise to you. I will be by your side forever." She slipped the ring on Bianca's finger then pressed a kiss to it. "I love you, Bianca. I will love you until the end of time."_

Nothing she had said that night had changed. She still loved Bianca completely. The ring she still wore, and would never remove, was proof enough of that. But right now she was hurt and she was still angry and she didn't know what to do about it.

Over the following days, they danced around each other, speaking barely more than a few words, rarely making eye contact and never, ever touching. Each found it hard to be alone in the same room with the other. Meals were stilted, awkward affairs and Kendall began finding excuses for her and Greenlee to disappear with Miranda for hours on end, knowing how the chilly atmosphere was affecting the little girl.

Bianca found herself searching for excuses to stay late at work, or spend time alone with her daughter. Maggie had the built-in excuse of studying, spending hours in the lab or the library, seeking out Cody and Kathleen for study sessions. The warmth that had once permeated every corner of the house was missing. It had become colder and certainly less welcoming than anyone had ever thought possible. The mere fact that they were going out of their way to avoid each other spoke volumes as to how hurt they were feeling.

One night while watching a movie on TV, Maggie reached for the remote at the exact moment Bianca did. Their hands met briefly then Maggie pulled back, crossing her arms over her chest. Bianca took the remote, turned the volume up a bit and returned the remote to the coffee table. Then she curled up in the corner of the sofa, wrapping herself in the yellow afghan that had seen so much turmoil. No one paid much attention to the movie after that.

Kendall couldn't remember a time when Bianca and Maggie had avoided each other so, not speaking, not touching or kissing. Not even after the "Champagne Incident" after they had first met, which they had managed to survive with their friendship intact. She was becoming as distraught as they were, having to truly enjoyed watching her beloved baby sister so besotted and in love. It gave her hope for everyone else.

Now, though, the stubborn obstinacy was starting to take its toll.

Friday, February 10:

Maggie slipped quietly out the lecture hall door, slinging the strap to her bookbag over her shoulder. It was official, this had been the crappiest week on record. Tuesday's fight with Bianca still stung, leaving Maggie with a heavy heart in her chest. She hadn't been able to concentrate on anything, as evidenced by the lack of attention span she'd had in class. Never had she been unable to answer the professor's question when called upon. Then, today, not only had she not had the correct answer to the question, she was completely lost during the discussion.

To top it all off, with the tension still between her and Bianca, she couldn't even go home and discuss it with her partner. There would be no teasing comments from Bianca about it, no confidence-boosting words, no encouraging touches and kisses. Life sucked.

Jamming her hands into her jacket pockets, she headed toward the Metro station for the ride home.

"Maggie!" a voice called from behind her. "Hey, Maggie! Wait up!"

Maggie turned around to see Cody loping in her direction. "Hey, Cody."

"Hey." He slowed down when he reached her side, hitching his backpack more securely on his shoulder then cut his stride to match hers as they walked. "Um, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Cody gave her a skeptical look. "You sure about that?" When there was no response from the blonde, Cody smiled ruefully. "Hey, I got an idea. Let's go have a beer, okay?"

"A beer?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah," the skinny Oklahoman replied. "It's a beverage made with the finest hops and barley, first created by the ancient Egyptians-."

"I know what beer is, Cody," she replied begrudgingly.

"Good, I'll buy you one. Then you can tell me again how fine you are."

Maggie sighed. "Sure, why not. It's not like there's really any reason to race right home anymore…"

Blowing out a breath that Maggie couldn't see, Cody shook his head. He knew there had been something bothering his diminutive friend, not only by her distracted appearance in class, but also in the way she'd carried herself this past week. She didn't look like she'd been sleeping very well, and she certainly appeared disheveled most days. And if tense meant being strung so tightly you'd snap in half at any second, Maggie was already starting to fray.

"How about a Guinness?" he asked as they moved past other students down the sidewalk. "We could head over to the Highlander. There probably won't be as many people from class there."

"Okay."

They made the short walk to The Highlander pub in relative silence. The bar, a traditional Scottish pub, sat on Rue de Nevers, opposite the Pont Nuef. Inside, they headed down the stairway to the Cellar Bar, a decidedly medieval environment. Yet, while being darker and a little more old-world in style, the cellar contained a pool table and big screen TV, which was currently showing a soccer match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea. While Maggie snagged a tall table in a corner, Cody went to the bar and got a couple of beers before joining Maggie and sliding onto a stool.

"Beamish okay?" he asked, setting a dark beer in front of Maggie. "I remember your… adverse reaction to Guinness last month."

"Ha ha," Maggie replied as she watched the thick head building on the Stout. After a moment, she picked up the pint glass and took a swallow. "Thanks, Cody."

He smiled a little. "All I did was buy you a beer. Next one's on you."

"Okay."

"You want to tell me what happened?"

Sighing, Maggie took another swallow of her Beamish. "We had a fight," she said softly. "She got a phone call from a former girlfriend and I blew up."

Cody searched out Maggie's eyes. "Go ahead and talk, Maggie. I'll listen."

Slowly, and with the aid of a couple more Stout's, Maggie poured out the entire story, from the frustration of classes to finding out about Lena's phone call to all the hurtful words she and Bianca had hurled at each other. She explained how they hadn't spoken more than a handful of civil words to each other all week, how the house seemed cold and unwelcoming at times. Finally, she rubbed her eyes with a hand.

"And the worst part is," she murmured finally, "I couldn't seem to shut my mouth. The more we yelled, the meaner I got. Some of the things I said, Cody…"

"Did you mean what you said to her?" he asked softly.

Maggie's head jerked up, aghast at the question. "No!"

"Then, you still love her."

"Of course, I do! God, Cody... what the hell kind of question is that?"

"So, if you still love Bianca, what are you doing here with me? Talk things out with her."

"If it were only that easy."

Cody leaned closer. "Why isn't it that easy?" he scoffed. "You go to Bianca, you say I'm sorry, I love you, can you forgive me. And you go from there."

"Cody, you don't understand-."

"I understand perfectly, Maggie. You're scared. I can see it in your eyes. Hell, I can see it in the fact that you look like crap." Maggie tossed him a dirty look, but Cody pointedly ignored it and continued. "But if you don't talk to Bianca, if you don't tell her you love her and try to work through this, then you're going to ruin what looks like an absolutely incredible relationship." He grinned at her. "You forget, Stone, I saw you at La Gueuze after finals. You weren't just happy because you aced a test. You were crazy in love. You still are."

"Come on, Cody…"

Cody swallowed the last of his Beamish and slid off his stool, tossing a couple Euros down to cover the waitresses tip. "You're one of my best friends, Maggie," he said, tossing his backpack strap over his shoulder. "But if you fuck this up, then you're not as smart as I thought you were." He bent over and kissed her on the top of her head. "And I just can't believe that you could be even remotely that stupid."

Maggie couldn't keep the small smile from her lips. "Gee, thanks, Code."

"You're welcome. Just don't let too much time go buy, okay?" He stopped and turned to look at her. "If you ever need to talk, you know you can talk to me, don't you?"

With a rueful laugh, Maggie peered into her pint glass. "That sounded an awful lot like something Bianca would say."

"Hmm, interesting…" He grinned a wide, good old boy grin. "See you Monday, Mags."

Maggie watched the tall young man disappear up the stairs to the ground floor of the pub then turned back to her pint glass. When the waitress came to check on her, she ordered another Beamish and a basket of chips then sat contemplatively. Maggie continued to sit quietly for a couple of hours, nursing her Stout and thinking things through.

When she finally returned home, it was late. The lights were turned off, save for the little lamp on the stair-side table. Quietly hanging her jacket in the closet, Maggie made her way to the master suite and slipped inside. She could see Bianca lying on her side in bed, her eyes closed, the covers pulled up to her chin. For a moment Maggie stood still as a statue, her eyes drinking in the raven haired beauty. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then went into the bathroom to change.

Turning off the bathroom light when she returned, Maggie slid into bed. She was ever-so careful to not disturb Bianca. A confrontation at this time of night, in the room next to a sleeping Miranda, was not what she wanted. Honestly, right now she didn't really know what she wanted.

_Sleep_, she thought. _If I could just get a full night's sleep…_ She settled against her pillow, her back to Bianca, just as Bianca's back was to her. She pulled the covers up over her shoulders and tried to close her eyes.

Then Bianca's wide awake voice broke the silence. "I was worried when you didn't come home," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," Maggie replied. "I should have called."

"Well, as long as you're okay."

"Yeah, I'm okay."

Bianca sighed inwardly as tears stung her eyes. "Good night, Maggie."

"Good night, Bianca."

Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, Maggie grimaced. They sounded like acquaintances, not two people who had sworn to spend the rest of their lives together. And here they were, with their backs to each other, like two strangers who had been forced to share a bed. The tension between them was palpable, measurable by the stiffness emanating from them as they made a conscious effort to avoid touching in any way.

Closing her eyes, Bianca felt a tear slip across the bridge of her nose and down the opposite cheek. They were so afraid of coming into contact in any fashion it was almost laughable. That is if it weren't so damn sad. If they clung anymore to the edges of the bed, they would surely both fall off onto the floor.

Saturday, February 11:

Bianca woke up alone. Maggie had apparently gotten up early and slipped out of the room. Chances were she was out running. Bianca smiled ruefully at the word. How typical of Maggie to be running when there was a problem, whether it be literally or figuratively.

Quietly crawling out of bed, Bianca dragged herself to the bathroom and got cleaned up for the day. For the first time in a long time, just the simple act of deciding on clothes for the day was a chore. This was something that, even before they began their relationship, Bianca and Maggie seemed to do together. Maggie would hold Miranda while Bianca tried to decide on what St. John suit to wear to the office, laughing at the brunette's seemingly never-ending indecision. Then Bianca would do the same while Maggie ran willy-nilly about the apartment, always forgetting a book or her keys or something that inevitably made her late for the Metro.

She missed that. The teasing and laughing that had always started their day. Listening to Miranda giggling as Maggie muttered to herself in her haste. The 'I love you's' they said to each other before leaving, the simple way they touched.

Sighing sadly, Bianca dropped onto the edge of the bed. Holding her head in her hands, she sat quietly, her heart breaking once more in her chest.

"Oh, Maggie," she whispered mournfully. "God, I miss you…"

By that evening, Bianca was exhausted. Both physically and emotionally. After Maggie's morning run, the blonde had once again disappeared for the afternoon, only to return and isolate herself in the den to study. At the rate Maggie was studying, she should be in an accelerated program and have her degree by the end of the summer.

To counter the loneliness of not having Maggie around, Bianca went with Kendall and Greenlee for dinner and shopping, finding a little normalcy in the evening. When they returned, Maggie appeared to be in the den, studying some more, so Bianca put Miranda to bed then headed to the kitchen for a glass of wine. She found her sister waiting for her at the kitchen door.

"Okay, Binks," Kendall stated, pushing her sister into a chair and handing her a glass of dark red wine. "Talk to me."

Bianca looked into her wine glass, knowing if she looked at Kendall, her eyes would give her away. "What do you mean?" she asked softly.

"Come on, Bianca," retorted the curly headed beauty. "I've known enough heartache in my life to recognize it when I see it. Just what happened between you and the Magster?"

"Why do you want to know now?" Bianca replied. "Where the hell have you _been_ all week?"

Kendall tossed her sister a dirty look. "Excuse me for thinking two grown women in love could pull their heads out of their collective asses and deal with whatever's been going on between them," she snapped back. Then she sighed. "I'm sorry, Binks. But you two are absolutely miserable and it's starting to affect your daughter. You need to work this out before you ruin what the two of you have."

"Kendall..."

Kendall held up a hand. "Hey, just calling it like I see it."

In the den, Maggie tossed her pencil aside and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. Then she ran her fingers through her hair and stretched until she heard vertebrae pop in her back. The quiet of the den was getting to her and she turned on the stereo just to have background noise as she studied.

She hadn't seen Bianca in nearly 16 hours.

After her morning run, she had taken a shower then headed to the library to study. It was cowardly, she knew, but she'd done it anyway. When they'd finally kicked her out of the library, she returned home and barricaded herself in the den, studying some more. There had been a note from Kendall that she and Greenlee had taken Bianca and Miranda shopping then out to dinner. When they'd gotten back, Bianca had never come looking for Maggie, as she normally would in this situation. Instead, Maggie imagined that Bianca had put their daughter to bed before retiring herself.

With a sigh, she got up and started for the kitchen, thinking maybe a caffeine-laden soda would give her the kick start she needed to stay awake and study a little while longer. Maggie had discovered over the last few days that nothing was worse than going to bed and sleeping with her back to Bianca, Bianca's back to her, neither of them speaking, both of them going out of their way to not touch. She missed that connection they had and working herself to exhaustion every day was the only way she'd been able to get through it.

She swung open the kitchen door then came to a sudden stop. Kendall and Bianca were sitting at the kitchen table, obviously deep in conversation, but immediately fell silent as Bianca and Maggie locked eyes.

The tension in the room was a living entity, threatening to suck the air out of every breathing thing.

Unable to look away, they stared at each other for a long moment. Time seemed to stand still, neither woman appeared to be breathing. Kendall swung her eyes back and forth between the two, wondering who would eventually lose this staring contest. Who would wilt under the pressure?

Kendall never thought she'd say this, or think it, but she missed stumbling upon her sister and Maggie making out in the kitchen. Okay, maybe not the making out part, but she certainly missed the warmth and obvious affection they had for each other. After spending years watching them love each other from afar, it had been a wonderful change to see them expressing the love they'd each harbored for so long.

Maggie broke eye contact first, her gaze lowering to the tile floor. Kendall saw the hurt blossom on Bianca's face before her sister averted her gaze as well. Suddenly, Kendall was absolutely fed up.

"Oh, you two need to grow up," she stated with disgust. "I saw enough of you looking at each other with those lovesick cow eyes back in Pine Valley. Bianca mooning over Maggie, then Maggie mooning over Bianca. You know, you two have the kind of love most of the world will never experience. And I'm sick of watching you waste it. Figure it out already." With that, she got up and stormed out of the kitchen. "Idiots…"

In uneasy silence, Maggie retrieved a Diet Coke out of the refrigerator and opened it. Her eyes settled on Bianca for a long moment, looking for all the world as if she was about to speak. Bianca met her eyes once more, the hopeful look on her face more than Maggie could bear. Then the blonde shook her head imperceptibly before silently exiting the room.

Bianca let go of the breath she'd been holding in hopes that Maggie would speak. As the kitchen door swung shut, she berated herself for not taking the initiative and speaking up herself. She tried to take a sip of her wine, but couldn't. She set the glass aside then put a hand to her forehead, resting her elbow on the kitchen table.

_Dammit_, she thought to herself. _Dammit, dammit, dammit…_

Back in the den, Maggie set the soda aside and looked back at her book, hoping the medical jargon would take her mind off the scene in the kitchen. The only problem there was every time she attempted to focus on the text, her vision blurred and in her minds eye she saw the hopeful look on Bianca's face as they stared at each other, Bianca hoping Maggie would speak, Maggie wishing Bianca would do the same. The frustration was becoming more than Maggie could take. The urge to throw the thick medical book across the room and scream was almost overwhelming…

Sunday, February 12:

Once again, Bianca woke up alone. Maggie had, again, gotten up early and rushed out of the house, obviously on another several mile run. Rolling over toward Maggie's side of the bed, Bianca slid over, nestling into the imprint Maggie's body had made the previous night, pretending, wishing, Maggie was still there. She buried her face in Maggie's pillow, breathing deeply of her lover's scent. She pulled the pillow closer, her hand holding tightly to what she wished was the curve of Maggie's back. Hugging the down-filled pillow tighter, Bianca felt tears well again in her eyes.

In the last few days, Bianca had begun wearing Maggie's blue Rangers jersey to bed, hoping beyond hope that Maggie would say something, touch her shoulder, laugh about how it probably smelled so Bianca could respond that it did smell, just like Maggie and that's why she continued to wear it. If Maggie even noticed, she never said a word.

Bianca swallowed back a sob. At this point, she wasn't sure how much more she could cry.

----

Maggie ran down Allée de Longchamp through the Bois de Boulogne, finding herself nearly alone in the huge park considering the less-than-hospitable weather. Her wool cap tugged down over her ears, her hands covered in heavy mittens, her breath pluming out in front of her, she ran with a purpose.

_God, damn, God, damn, God, damn_. Each stride, right, left, right, left, God, damn, God, damn… the words echoed in her head. It was the pace she'd set for herself, the only way she'd been able to put one foot in front of the other. She thought about her talk with Cody, the way she'd come home and found Bianca in bed pretending to be asleep, yet wondering where Maggie had been. She thought about how she'd slipped quietly out of the house this morning so as not to have to face Bianca, Kendall or a just wakening Miranda.

"_You go to Bianca, you say I'm sorry, I love you, can you forgive me. And you go from there."_

"_Cody, you don't understand-."_

"_I understand perfectly, Maggie. You're scared…"_

Right, left, right, left…

"_If you don't talk to Bianca, if you don't tell her you love her and try to work through this, then you're going to ruin what looks like an absolutely incredible relationship… If you fuck this up, then you're not as smart as I thought you were..."_

Right, left, right, left…

"_I was worried when you didn't come home."_

"_I'm sorry, I should have called."_

"_Well, as long as you're okay."_

"_Yeah, I'm okay."_

"_Good night, Maggie."_

"_Good night, Bianca."_

Right, left, right, left… _God, damn, God, damn…_

After spending most of her morning on the walking paths of the park, Maggie finally returned home. Her cheeks were reddened from the brisk wind, her chest ached from the icy February air sawing in and out of her lungs, her fingers so stiff from the cold she had a hard time gripping the doorknob in front of her.

Blowing warm breath on her frigid digits, she stepped into the apartment and headed for the stairs. What she saw there, though, stopped her dead in her tracks.

Miranda, dressed in a tiny pair of jeans and her little Rangers jersey, sat on the bottom step, Leo at her side, Elmo in her hands. She jumped up when she saw Maggie approach. She had fought her mother this morning on what to wear, wanting badly to dress just like Maggie did when they watched hockey games together.

Grabbing her Elmo plushy, she toddled toward the doorway. "'Aggie!" Miranda exclaimed as she looked up at Maggie with a hopeful smile on her face. "'Aggie home!"

"Hi, sweetie," Maggie replied as she blew another warm breath on her hands, returning the child's smile with a tired one of her own. "Someone has a bit of Rangers pride today," she said, feeling the need to acknowledge the little girl's choice of outfit. She walked down the hallway, noticing how Miranda was toddling beside her. Stopping at the foot of the steps, she looked down at the precious little girl.

They both made eye contact, Miranda still holding her Elmo in her arms, while her other hand was poised close to her face, one finger in her mouth.

"'Aggie play?" Miranda asked, holding up her doll to Maggie. The little girl's eyes were filled with hope that maybe her favorite playmate would sit down with her on the steps instead of hiding in the den. "Play?" she asked again.

Maggie sighed and got down on her knees so she was eye level with Miranda. Smoothing down Miranda's soft dark hair, she gave the little girl an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but 'Aggie can't play right now."

"'Aggie, 'okee?" Miranda said as she dropped her Elmo and pointed to her tiny Rangers jersey. "Wangers?" she pleaded and looked desperately into Maggie's eyes, wondering why she wasn't in the mood to play. To play with_ her._

"Sorry, kiddo but the Rangers aren't playing today."

"Play?" Miranda asked one last time.

Maggie sat down on the bottom step and pulled Miranda close, so that she was standing in front of her. Fixing her Rangers jersey, Maggie fought back the lone tear that was trying to make its way to the surface. "I wish I could play with you, but not today. Your 'Aggie is kinda tired. Maybe some other time, okay?"

"No play?" Miranda whispered, not quite understanding why Maggie looked so sad.

"Not today, Munchie."

Miranda stood for a moment, her hands at her side with a look of sheer disappointment on her face. Deciding that a tantrum wasn't going to do her any good, she nodded her head and stuck a finger in her mouth. "Otay."

"Some other time, I promise," Maggie leaned forward and kissed Miranda on the forehead. She stood back up, turned around and bounded hurriedly up the stairs, leaving a disappointed Miranda at the bottom. "Dammit," she muttered, knowing she had hurt her daughter needlessly.

Looking down at her Elmo plushy, Miranda sat down on the floor and pulled it into her arms. Leo rejoined her, the cat looking up at the stairs, just as Miranda was doing.

"'Aggie go bye bye?" Miranda mumbled softly to herself as she stared up at the empty steps, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

Leo meowed softly and nuzzled against the little girl, sensing her sadness. Silently, the cat settled down at Miranda's side, settling its chin on her tiny leg, hoping to give any comfort it could to its disappointed and saddened master.

----

Maggie had disappeared not long after she'd returned home from her jog. Ostensibly, she'd taken off for the library, but now that it was after 7 o'clock and she had missed dinner, Bianca assumed she was somewhere by herself, isolating herself from the pain once again.

Bianca sat on a blanket in the den with Miranda and the cat, playing quietly together. Kendall and Greenlee had barricaded themselves in the kitchen, claiming to be baking something. Bianca figured they were at least making the attempt, considering the smell of something burning that was wafting out the kitchen door.

With a sigh, Bianca picked up the Elmo plush toy and held it out for Miranda. "Here you go, Honey."

Miranda looked at the doll, then up at her mother. "Mommie?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Where my 'Aggie?" the little girl asked, her face so forlorn it broke Bianca's heart. She was still hurting from Maggie's actions earlier, when she was dressed like the woman she worshiped, seeking just a little attention.

"Oh, Miranda," she whispered, picking up her daughter and gently rubbing her back. Since their fight, Maggie had been so distant, even from their child. That loss of closeness had affected them all, including Miranda, who hadn't laughed and giggled the last few days as she had in the past. She missed Maggie as much as, if not more, than Bianca did. "'Aggie and Mommie had a... fight and Mommie hurt 'Aggie's feelings."

"Why?" Miranda asked innocently.

Bianca sighed. "Honestly, Munchie, I don't know..." She rubbed her forehead, where a headache was beginning to form. "I don't know..."

"Mommie?"

"What, Sweetie?"

"You no wuv 'Aggie no more?" the little girl asked.

The innocent question hit Bianca hard right in the heart. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "No, Baby! Mommie loves 'Aggie more than anything- except maybe for you..." She sighed again. "Mommie will always love 'Aggie."

Miranda looked at her mother again. "'Aggie no go bye-bye?"

"No, Baby," Bianca whispered, hugging her child and missing Maggie desperately. Just the thought of Maggie not being around was enough to make Bianca's heart skip a beat. "Maggie's not going bye-bye."

"Mommie?" Miranda yawned, snuggling with her Elmo doll

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Miss 'Aggie, Mommie... lot."

Bianca closed her eyes, feeling the sting of tears. One slipped over her lashes and traced its way down her cheek. "So do I, Munchie. So do I."

"Want 'Aggie, Mommie. I want 'Aggie."

The childish desperation in Miranda's tone, along with the pout on her face that was pure Maggie Stone, sparked something in Bianca. She wanted Maggie, too. She quickly got up with Miranda still in her arms and rushed out of the den.

"Kendall!" she called out. "Kendall, I need your help!"

Kendall and Greenlee quickly came out of the kitchen at Bianca's shout. "What?" Kendall asked. "What is it, Binks?"

Bianca held out her daughter to Greenlee. "I need you to watch Miranda," she said hurriedly.

The little girl went willingly into the small woman's arms. "Are you okay?" she asked, holding the child close.

"I have to go," Bianca explained, already on her way to the door. "I have to go get Maggie."

"Well, it's about damn time," Kendall muttered as the front door closed behind her kid sister.

Bianca hurried to the elevator and jumped inside, hitting "R" for the short ride to the roof top. She and Maggie had discovered the privacy offered by the roof a couple of weeks or so prior, venturing up to watch the stars one night when a bickering Kenlee threatened to drive them insane. That's where Maggie had been spending most of her free time lately, at home but technically not.

At some point they had found a couple of lounge chairs and brought them up with them, giving them some place to sit other than the roofs cold surface. Opening the access door, Bianca saw Maggie sitting on one of the lounges, her eyes on the horizon, wrapped in a stadium blanket from PVU. Her heart lurched in her chest at the solitary figure, looking so small and alone.

"Maggie," Bianca called as she approached her from behind, placing a hand on her shoulder. She got no response from the blonde, her eyes only staring off into the distance. "Maggie, please..."

"Please what, Bianca?"

"Can we please talk? I can't take this anymore, Maggie. Our daughter is downstairs, confused because she thinks her 'Aggie is going to go away."

Maggie's eyes closed at those words. "I'm not going anywhere," she whispered.

"Well, you've been pretty goddamned distant this past week."

"And you've been so warm and loving!"

Bianca sighed. "I don't want to fight again, Maggie. I want to talk. I want us to work through whatever the hell happened last week."

"And you think I don't?"

"I never said that, Maggie."

Maggie's shoulders fell. "I know, Bianca, I'm sorry." Suddenly, she took Bianca's hand and pulled her down onto the lounge chair beside her. "I'm sorry," she said again, her meaning clear.

"Oh, Maggie," Bianca murmured. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it."

Maggie turned to face Bianca, taking hold of her hands and holding them tightly. "I said some terrible things, Bianca. How can you ever forgive me?"

"Please, Maggie, how can _you_ ever forgive _me_?" She gripped Maggie's hands tightly as tears clogged her throat. "Oh, God, Maggie, when I think of what I said… I'm so sorry…"

"What, Bianca? What did you say?"

"Please," Bianca scoffed as she sniffled. "You can't tell me you forgot. I know how hard it was for you to tell me how you felt about me that day. When I called it a 'little confession', that was so wrong of me. It wasn't a little confession. You bared your heart to me, completely, and I know that. It was just a mean and ugly thing for me to say."

"I keep replaying it all in my head, B," Maggie whispered hoarsely. "I lashed out at you and I'm so sorry… I was just as mean." She looked at the hands she held in her own, her eyes finding the ring Bianca wore. She rubbed her thumb back and forth over the gold and silver band. "When I accused you of liking it when Lena and I fought over you… I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it at all."

"I know that, Maggie."

"Do you? Do you, really? How could you be so sure, Bianca?"

"Because I hurt you, Maggie, and you struck back at me. It's normal to want to hurt me because _I_ hurt _you_."

Maggie hung her head. "I hate that I hurt you, B. It just about killed me when I saw the look on your face…" She raised her eyes, slowly meeting Bianca's liquid chocolate gaze. "I'm just so afraid sometimes, you know?"

"Of what, Maggie? What are you so afraid of?"

"Of losing you." She smiled ruefully. "You can tell me I'm being irrational all you want, Bianca, but that won't change the way I feel."

"You're not going to lose me, Maggie. Don't you understand that yet?"

"Hey, you're talking to Maggie Stone, here. Insecurity's my middle name." Despite herself, Bianca smiled at Maggie's words. "We're coming back around to that whole 'somebody like you loving somebody like me' thing. Bianca, you're beautiful, smart, sexy, funny and incredibly loving. You could have anyone you want and I still can't believe you want _me_. So when someone like Lena comes along- or_back_- it scares me. It scares me to death. I love you so much, B, I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

"Maggie…" Bianca sighed then reached a hand up to caress Maggie's cheek. "Don't you know how much I love you? You're not going to lose me, I swear. I made a promise to you, Maggie, and I plan on keeping it."

Maggie sighed. "I know you do, Bianca, I know. I made the same promise." She got up and walked to the edge of the roof. "But that doesn't mean I don't get scared," she whispered as she gazed out at the Paris skyline.

"And you think I don't?" Bianca asked in frustration. She quickly moved to Maggie's side. "Shit, Maggie, I get scared, too." At the look of disbelief of Maggie's face, Bianca went on, "Every time some good looking guy smiles at you, my heart stops. I'm scared that one day you're going to come to your senses and realize you don't want to be with me. That you made a huge mistake and having a relationship with a woman is not what you want."

"You said 'shit'," Maggie whispered in awe.

Bianca fought hard to maintain her composure, but couldn't help grinning a little at Maggie's words. Quickly, she recovered and schooled her features into seriousness, trying to ignore Maggie's innate ability to make her laugh. "I wish people would stop acting like I'm some sort of saint, because I'm not."

Maggie gave her a little smirk, the first sign that healing may have begun. "Trust me, Binks, I _know_ you're no saint." She sighed. "Come here." They sat on the lounge chair, facing each other, their knees pressed together. Maggie took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. Her hands were shaking as she held onto Bianca. When she spoke again, her voice wavered, shaking with the depth of emotion coursing through her small body. "When I say 'how someone like you could love someone like me', I don't just mean you choosing between me and Lena. What I mean is, you choosing the poor street urchin who never had a full belly, never knew what new clothes felt like, never thought they could be loved by a woman as beautiful and graceful and incredible as you-."

"Oh, Maggie…" Bianca breathed.

She continued as if Bianca had not spoken. "Frankie and I grew up in the worst part of town. Our house had peeling paint, worn furniture with busted springs and dead grass in the yard. When we were kids, our clothes came from Goodwill and they never fit right, never the right size or anything. I've been poor my entire life, Bianca, and that makes me feel so worthless at times."

Bianca was shocked by what Maggie had just revealed. "You are _not_ worthless, Maggie Stone," she replied firmly, her body nearly vibrating with indignation that Maggie had ever been made to feel that way. She knew what it must have taken for Maggie to admit such a thing. She never wanted Maggie to feel so badly about herself. Ever. "And to hell with anyone who ever told you that you were."

"The point is, Bianca, that somehow, the poor white trash girl from the wrong side of the tracks ended up with the beautiful princess. And that poor white trash girl knows how lucky she is and is so afraid of losing what she has." Maggie's voice cracked as tears filled her eyes. "That poor white trash girl still can't understand how someone as beautiful and honest and pure as you could ever love someone as worthless as her."

"Oh, Maggie," Bianca whispered hoarsely, her throat raw from emotion, her own tears spilling over her lashes. She pulled her girlfriend into her arms and held her close. "You have never been worthless to me. From the moment we met, you've been my protector and my angel and my rock. You're not worthless, Tiger. You're priceless. You are absolutely priceless."

Maggie wrapped her arms around Bianca's waist and held on tightly. "I'm so sorry for the things I said, Bianca. I'm so sorry that I made you think I doubted our love. Or your love for me." She nuzzled deeply into Bianca's neck, the one being comforted instead of giving comfort for a change. "I just don't ever want to screw anything up. Because I couldn't take it if I hurt you and I know that's exactly what I did."

"You're never going to lose me, I promise. I know I said it once to you, a long time ago, but I mean it now. More than ever."

"I'm not going to change my mind, you know," Maggie whispered after a long moment. "I'm going to spend my life with you, Bianca. No man- or woman- will ever change how I feel about you."

Bianca turned Maggie's eyes up to hers, brushing blonde streaked hair back through her fingers before cradling the beloved face in her hands. "I can say the same thing to you, Maggie. Nothing, and no one, could ever take me away from you."

Maggie held Bianca close, her hands pressed hard against Bianca's back. "I love you, Bianca. More than I ever thought possible."

"Maggie, I am _always_ going to love you. _Always_."

Maggie gently reached up and kissed Bianca sweetly on the lips. Bianca returned the kiss, her lips parting in anticipation. Eagerly accepting the invitation, Maggie kissed Bianca deeply, wanting to show her with her touch just how much she loved her. How much she had missed her. And just how much she would always need her.

They stood in each others arms, eyes on the horizon, watching the lights dancing on the Eiffel Tower. Maggie had wrapped the stadium blanket around their shoulders, cocooning them into their own world, their combined body heat and love for one another more than enough to keep them warm. Neither had spoken since the kiss, not wanting to break the spell.

Finally, Bianca's voice broke the night.

"Maggie?"

"Yeah?"

"Um, Boom-Boom?"

Maggie grinned, never taking her eyes off the glowing Tower across the River Seine. "Yeah."

"Where did that come from?"

"Come on, Bianca, don't you remember the night before you went to work at Enchantment? I came by and you were trying on everything in your closet for that 'perfect' look?"

Bianca smiled and nodded. "And you said I looked like my mother, from-."

"Ta-ta's to Boom-Boom," they said simultaneously.

"Yeah." Finally, Maggie looked at Bianca and there was love in her eyes. Love that had been sadly absent the last several days, but still in her heart nonetheless. "And trust me, Baby, you have the best Boom-Boom I've ever seen."

TBC-


	8. Proper Ways to Grovel

Same disclaimer as before... I don't own anything or anyone associated with ABC/AMC. Just playin'...

Okay, I think the flashbacks in here mess with the space/time continuum thing... Sorry if I confuse anyone…

**Baby you're all that I want  
When you're lyin' here in my arms  
I'm findin' it hard to believe  
We're in heaven  
And love is all that I need  
And I found it there in your heart  
It isn't too hard to see  
We're in heaven**  
Bryan Adams - _Heaven_

Chapter 8 – Proper Ways to Grovel

Thursday, February 16, 2006  
Paris, France

"Okay," Maggie said earnestly. "I know I was kind of distant last week- well, okay, really distant- and I hurt you pretty badly, but I'm going to make it all up to you." She sat down on the coffee table and reached out a hand, settling it gently on the knee of the dark haired beauty facing her. "Anything you want to do today, I promise we'll do. Anything. All day long, I am yours. You just tell me and we'll do it. Okay?"

Dark brown eyes met hers, gazing intently, searching for the honesty in her words. Maggie began to sweat a little bit, wondering if maybe she had napalmed that bridge behind her…

"Otay," the little brunette said finally.

Maggie's entire body sagged with relief. "Okay?" she asked, making sure she heard correctly.

Miranda nodded her head, chestnut colored locks bobbing. "Otay."

"Okay!" Maggie exclaimed. "What do you want to do first, Munchie?"

"Anyfing?"

Maggie smiled a little warily, wondering now if she'd painted herself into a corner. "Sure, anything you want."

Miranda cocked her head to the side and thought about it. "Ehmo," she stated firmly.

Maggie blinked. "You want me to impersonate Elmo?"

"Otay."

"Oookay," Maggie said, rubbing her palms on her jeans. "One Elmo impersonation…" Smiling gamely at the little girl, she rolled her shoulders nervously. "Okay, what else, Munchie?"

Miranda shrugged. "Dunno. Wangers?"

Maggie sighed, visibly relieved. "Okay, a Rangers game it is. But no bad words, okay?"

"Otay."

"Anything else?"

"Twain wide."

"You want to ride the train? Down at the park?" Miranda nodded her head. "Okay, we'll catch the train at Port Maillot. So you want to also go down to the Jardin d'Acclimatation, don't you?"

"Yeah, horsey wides!" The little girl was quite the Parisian, knowing full well the Jardin d'Acclimatation was an amusement park tucked into the north end of Bois de Boulogne and featured roller coasters, pony rides and a variety of other delights for children.

"Okay. Pony rides at the park." She smiled at the little girl. "And I'm betting a puppet show, too, huh?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, then let's get ready, Munchie, we got a full day today."

"Otay!" Miranda reached out her arms to Maggie when the blonde went to pick her up. "'Aggie?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"I wuv you."

Maggie stopped walking and looked the little girl in the eye. "I love you, too, Miranda. Don't you ever think that I don't love you."

"Otay." Then she kissed Maggie sweetly on the lips and hugged her tightly around the neck. "My 'Aggie."

"That's me," Maggie replied. She carried Miranda out of the den and towards the stairs.

"'Aggie?"

"Yeah, Munchie?"

"Ehmo," she ordered.

Maggie pulled back to look at the little girl. "You want your Elmo impersonation _now_?"

Miranda nodded her head once. "Yep."

"Oh, God…"

"No, Ehmo!"

----

Bianca found the two of them in the den later that day, both in Rangers jerseys and jeans, cheering on their team from the comfort of the sofa. With the huge flat panel TV, it was just as if they had seats mere steps from the ice.

"Goal!" Maggie shouted. "Jaromir Jagr!"

"Yawomeer Yaga!" Miranda parroted as they high-fived happily.

Bianca stopped at the doorway to the den, a smile on her face as she watched Maggie and Miranda reconnect. Leaning a shoulder against the door frame, she crossed her arms over her chest and enjoyed the sight, grinning when they would both contort their bodies in concert with the players on the screen, Maggie because she was absorbed in the game and Miranda because she wanted to do everything Maggie did.

The two had spent the entire day together with no outside interference. Miranda told her all about their train ride to the park, the 6 pony rides she took, 4 puppet shows she saw and the lunch they had shared, followed by a giant puff of cotton candy. They'd had popcorn, sodas, French fries and corn dogs. Bianca could swear Miranda _was_ Maggie's biological daughter and had inherited her cast-iron stomach. The little girl was even starting to look like Maggie, working on that same little lop-sided grin, the puppy dog eyes and that little move Maggie does where she bites down on her bottom lip. She doesn't quite do it with the same style as Maggie, but someday she would absolutely captivate a loved one with it.

Bianca could swear her daughter's hair was actually getting lighter, too…

Watching as Miranda climbed into Maggie's lap and cuddled close, Bianca let her mind slip back to Tuesday.

February 14th  
Valentine's Day-

Bianca's sense of smell was being treated the fresh roasted goodness of coffee. Smiling against her pillow, she rolled over to find Maggie standing at the bedside, a tray in her hand filled with fresh pastries and two cups of coffee.

"Morning, Sunshine," Maggie whispered, setting the tray on the night stand.

"Hey." Bianca sat up, pushing her pillow behind her to rest against the headboard. "What's the special occasion?"

"Oh, come on, Binks, don't tell me you forgot."

"Forgot what?"

Maggie grinned that delicious lop-sided smile. "Happy Valentine's Day, Boom-Boom," she said softly, holding out a white rose and brushing it down Bianca's cheek.

Bianca laughed. "Happy Valentine's Day, Tiger," she replied as Maggie leaned in to give her a kiss.

"I love you, Bianca," Maggie murmured, pressing her forehead to Bianca's. "And I'm sorry about the fight."

"Maggie…" Bianca sighed. She put a hand to Maggie's cheek and turned her eyes upward so they were looking at each other. "Stop apologizing for the fight. We were _both_ there, you know. I should apologize to you, too."

"Okay, you made your point. But, I'm still going to spend all day today making it up to you."

Now Bianca grinned. "If you're expecting me to argue with you about _that_, you're in for a long wait."

They laughed and Maggie crawled onto the bed beside Bianca, handing her a cup of coffee and settling the tray of pastries on the bed before them. They enjoyed their quiet breakfast until Miranda woke up, then they got up and prepared for their day. There was no class for Maggie and Bianca wasn't needed at the office, so they decided to spend the day as a family.

Maggie had made all the arrangements, even so far as calling Cambias and making sure a car was at their disposal if they needed one. They decided, though, that it would be more fun to take to the streets, ride the Metro and make a full day of it. They headed first to the Musée de la Poupée, at the edge of the Marais district, an incredible doll museum that fascinated Miranda. It sat not far from the Centre Georges Pompidou.

They had a wonderful time looking at the exhibits, the period specific dolls in traditional settings, having tea or baby dolls playing in their nursery. Miranda would laugh and point to whichever doll caught her attention, taking in each room with intense fascination.

Maggie, on the other hand, was starting to get a little creeped out. "These dolls are watching us," she muttered to Bianca at one point. "It's like that scary doll I got for Christmas all over again…"

Bianca grinned. "Then I guess this isn't a good time to tell you that the featured exhibit is 'Barbie exhibits 5,000 years of the history of costumes'."

"Oh, God, are you kidding?" Bianca shook her head. "Man, there had better not be a make-up Barbie head in there or I'll run out of this place screaming…"

The terrified look on Maggie's face made Bianca chuckle. "I'll hold your hand if you want me to."

"Would you, please?" Maggie said sarcastically.

"Aw, is my little Maggie-waggie afraid of the dolls?"

Maggie gave Bianca a look. "Just the possessed ones," she replied in all seriousness.

With a laugh, Bianca took Maggie's hand and they finished their walk through the doll museum. Miranda babbled non-stop after they left and made their way toward Rue du Beauborg, still enthralled by the sheer volume of toys she'd just seen. Bianca and Maggie let her talk, both amused by the little girl's imaginative commentary.

"Where to now?" Bianca asked as they strolled along.

"Well," Maggie said with a secretive smile, "I thought we'd head over to Hotel de Ville and do a little ice skating."

Surprise lit Bianca's face, her eyes going wide. "Really?"

"Yeah, really." Then Maggie looked at Bianca. "You do know how to ice skate, don't you?"

Bianca snorted. "Of course, I do. Do you?"

At that, Maggie laughed. "I grew up in Green Bay, Bianca, we had two seasons, winter and July. There were times when the only way to get to one place or another was to skate there. Plus, I was going to play for the Rangers, of course I know how to skate."

"Okay, I believe you know how to skate," Bianca replied. "But I'm calling BS on that having to skate everywhere line."

Maggie grinned. "But it sure sounded good, though, didn't it?"

With a smile as her only answer, Bianca slipped an arm through Maggie's as the blonde pushed Miranda's stroller. They crossed over Rue Rambuteau, moving down the sidewalk along the Centre Georges Pompidou.

"I'm sorry," Maggie muttered with a shake of her head, referring to the Pompidou Centre, "but that's one ugly building."

Bianca didn't say anything but silently agreed. The big "inside out"-appearing building was a modern monstrosity in the midst of traditional Old World Paris, in what was considered part of the Historic Center of the city. With huge pipes in red, green and blue covering the exterior of the building and its exposed metal framework… it was modern architecture placed squarely in the midst of old world romantic style. It didn't fit and Bianca didn't like it, either.

"Maybe it would work better if it were in La Défense," she replied, referring to the major business district to the west of the city where modern skyscrapers filled the horizon.

Maggie snorted. "Urgh, that building just pisses me off…"

With that, Bianca tried to hide her smile. For a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks, in Maggie's own words, she had become a true Parisian in many ways, from her intrigue in the authentic food and wine to her love of all things Paris. Except, of course, for the Centre Georges Pompidou.

They finally arrived at the Place de L'Hôtel de Ville, the large square in front of the Hotel de Ville, where the entire open-air square had been turned into a skating rink for the winter. Anyone who wanted could come and skate for a minimal charge, only a couple of Euro for skate rental, access to the ice was free, as was skate rental and skating for kids. Several street merchants had set up shop around the square, selling hot chocolate, pastries, sandwiches and other treats.

Maggie went and got skates, coming back and handing Bianca a pair, then assisting Miranda into hers. Then she dug into the back of Miranda's stroller and pulled out a pair of black Bauer Supreme hockey skates, grinning at Miranda as she quickly changed into the skates and laced them up.

"Okay," Bianca said with a simple nod of her head. "Now I believe you know how to skate…"

With a chuckle, Maggie re-laced Miranda's skates on the little girl then helped her up. "You ready, Munchie?"

"Weady," Miranda replied with a single bob of her head.

"Okay, let's go."

"Wet's go."

Bianca sat back and watched the two of them take to the ice. Gently, Maggie moved behind Miranda, her hands under the little girl's arms, making sure her skates were on the slippery surface. Then, with an easy push of a skate, she propelled the two of them along.

Sunlight glinted off the slick, shining ice surface of the rink as Maggie assisted Miranda in a complete circuit, keeping the little girl on her skates and not letting her fall. From where Bianca sat, she could hear the toddler giggling and Maggie telling her what a great skater she was. Bianca grinned as she watched Maggie bending over and holding up their daughter with hands under her arms, that spectacular Levi's-clad rear end teasing the brunette from where she sat.

Finishing up her laces, Bianca hurried onto the ice, gliding easily to Maggie's side. "Having fun?" she asked.

"Mommie! Mommie!" Miranda exclaimed. "You see me skating?"

"Yes, I did, sweetie. You're better than Michelle Kwan!" Miranda looked at her mother curiously. "Sasha Cohen?" Bianca asked then watched as Miranda's little brow furrowed in confusion. "Jaromir Jagr?"

"Yawomeer Yaga!" Miranda squealed, recognizing the name.

"Oh, God," Bianca groaned with a roll of her eyes. "You've made her a hockey player."

Maggie grinned. "Yep."

"Yep," Miranda parroted, reaching for her mother's hand.

Bianca accepted the little hand in hers as Maggie took the other one and together they led their daughter around the rink. They spent the rest of the afternoon at the rink, sipping hot cocoa, eating a quick lunch and skating some more. At one point, Maggie picked Miranda up in her arms and skated quickly around the rink several times, causing Miranda to giggle and urge her to skate faster. Bianca leaned up against the dasher boards and watched them go, enjoying the sound of Miranda's giggles floating over the rink to her ears.

"You know, you're really a very good skater," she told Maggie later as they were waiting for the Metro train that would get them back into the 16th Arrondissement.

"What? You didn't believe me?"

Bianca smiled. "I have to admit that, no, I didn't really believe you."

Maggie's mouth dropped open. "Bianca, I'm hurt," she said, putting her hand to her chest in feigned indignation.

"Yeah, right, whatever," Bianca replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"I can't believe you didn't believe me! I told you Frankie and I grew up loving the Rangers."

"You don't exactly strike me as a gap-toothed hockey player, Mags."

"Oh, that is sooo stereotypical!" Maggie huffed. "Besides, Frankie and I were too fast, no one could catch us…"

Miranda had fallen asleep before they got back to the apartment, so both Bianca and Maggie decided to take a nap as well, settling Miranda in her room with Leo standing guard before curling up together on their bed.

After some good-natured squabbling and a little fussing, Maggie pushed Bianca onto her side and slid up behind her spoon fashion. Then she wrapped her arms around Bianca's shoulders to pull her close and tossed a leg over Bianca's hip, nuzzling her nose into the crook of Bianca's neck before sighing. Almost instantly, she was asleep.

Smiling to herself, Bianca managed to roll over and wrap an arm around Maggie's waist, settling her head just beneath Maggie's chin. Breathing deeply of her lover's unique scent, Bianca sighed and closed her eyes, following her two girls into dreamland.

Something was tickling Maggie's nose. She turned her head but the ticklish sensation just shifted to her cheek. Blindly, she reached up to swat away whatever was tormenting her and managed to smack herself in the face. Pulling back quickly, she found a piece of paper in her fist.

"Kendall," she growled, opening the sheet of paper to see the note scribbled there.

_Sex bunnies,_

_We have Miranda. We took her. Out to dinner… and something… Have fun. Happy Valentine's Day._

_Please try to keep it in the bedroom…._

_Kenlee_

Maggie re-read the note again. _Yeesh_, she thought, _way to make it sound a little like a kidnappers note, Kendall…_

"Mags?" Bianca murmured, her eyes fluttering open. "Maggie?"

Maggie pressed a kiss to Bianca's forehead. "Hey, sweetie," she said softly.

"What time is it?"

"Um…," she glanced at the bedside clock. "Seven thirty."

"Oh, no! I need to feed Miranda!"

As Bianca struggled to get up, Maggie tightened her hold around her shoulders. "Hey, hey, it's okay. Kendall and Greenlee kidnapped her for the evening."

"What?" Bianca asked, slowly settling back into Maggie's arms.

"I found this on my face earlier," Maggie said as she held out the note for Bianca to read.

The brunette gaped at the words. "Jeez, if she'd stopped after the first two sentences, we'd be on the phone with the local gendarmes right now."

Maggie chuckled. "Actually, I think _Sex bunnies_ kinda gave it away…"

There was a moment of silence. "Unless someone found that video…"

"Bianca!" Maggie exclaimed, sitting up quickly. "You told me you destroyed that tape!"

Bianca had the good sense to actually blush sheepishly. "I've been meaning to…"

"Oh, man…"

"Are you hungry?" Bianca suddenly blurted, jumping up from the bed. "I'm hungry, are you hungry?" She scurried for the door, using both hands to push flyaway locks of hair behind her ears. "I'll go make us some sandwiches, how does that sound?"

Before Maggie could respond, Bianca was out the door and down the hall. Grinning to herself, Maggie was reminded again that, just with the existence of that tape, Bianca was actually quite a bad girl.

Blushing violently red, Bianca rushed into the kitchen and began to prepare a light dinner. Her thoughts still rebounding back to the dreaded videocassette, she pressed her reddened, fiery cheek to the stainless steel door of the Sub-Zero refrigerator, hoping the cold metal might cool her heated skin.

_Oh, God_, she thought, _I'm such a bad person… I should destroy that tape as soon as I can…I don't think I've ever even watched it._ She blushed again. _I don't think I __**can**__ watch it… oh, how embarrassing! Mother would absolutely flip if she even knew of its existence… _

Pushing thoughts of the tape accidentally ending up in the press out of her mind, Bianca quickly set about making some sandwiches and fixing a tray that included some cheese, fruit and a bottle of Cabernet. After straightening up what mess she made, she grabbed the tray and headed back upstairs.

Nudging the door open with her butt, Bianca backed into the room. "Dinner is-." Her words died in her throat as she turned around. "Served…"

The room was completely aglow in candlelight, the flickering flames throwing shadows across the walls. Soft music played from the stereo. The gentle scent of amber and bergamot filled the air. Maggie sat in the middle of the bed, clad only in her slightly worse-for-wear white Rangers jersey, her bare legs crossed at the ankles. Bianca stopped so quickly she nearly dropped the tray.

Maggie gave her an all-to-knowing smile. "Happy Valentine's Day, Bianca."

"Maggie," the brunette gasped.

"Join me," Maggie said, patting the mattress beside her.

"What's this all for?" Bianca asked, setting the tray on the bedside table before climbing onto the mattress at Maggie's side.

"Because it's Valentine's Day, Binks. It's another first for us, you know. We had our first Thanksgiving as a family, our first Christmas, first New Years… and _this_ is our first Valentine's Day together."

Bianca smiled. "We've been together before on Valentine's Day."

That made Maggie chuckle. "Not like this, we haven't."

"Well… just because I was in the hospital one year and we were trying to get out of town last year…"

"Hmm," Maggie murmured, reaching up a hand to brush back a lock of Bianca's hair. "The best thing that ever happened to me, getting out of town."

Bianca leaned in to Maggie's touch. "Really?"

"Well, after finding you, of course." Leaning in, Maggie gently kissed Bianca on the lips then kissed her again. "So, what's for dinner?"

With a smile, Bianca reached for the tray and set it between them on the bed, then pouring two glasses of wine. Clinking glasses in a silent toast, they each sipped before eating their sandwiches. Maggie picked up a grape and held it to Bianca's lips, grinning when the brunette took the bit of fruit from her fingers.

"Do you remember the last time you fed me?" Bianca said softly, watching Maggie reach for another grape.

"Hmm, there was that one day at the hospital when I checked your I.V. line. Does that count?"

Bianca smiled in spite of herself. "Maggie…"

"Sorry."

"I was still pregnant with Miranda." Bianca grinned at the memory. "You fed me breakfast."

"Yeah, I was shoving BJ's pancakes in your mouth."

Bianca looked up and caught Maggie's gaze. "You took such good care of me, Maggie. I never would have made it without you."

Maggie blushed and lowered her eyes. "You would have been fine, Bianca."

"Maybe," Bianca admitted. Maggie looked up and their eyes met again. "But I don't think so. I was so lucky to have you at my side, Maggie. So very lucky."

"I had to be there, Bianca. I was in love with you."

"So was I…"

Maggie grinned ruefully. "Apparently everyone and their dog saw it but us."

"Well, it's not that easy to admit something you've been fighting for so long."

"I know, I know…" Maggie looked up into Bianca's eyes, a gentle smile curving her lips. "I love you, Bianca. You know I do."

"Yeah, Tiger, I know you do."

Leaning in, Maggie captured Bianca's lips in a soft kiss, pressing closer and pushing her back down on the bed. Languidly, the kiss became a caress. Lips clung to each other, parted softly. Tongues teased and played. Maggie pressed in, kissing Bianca again. She loved the feeling of Bianca's lips beneath hers. She loved their texture, their taste, their warmth…

To be honest, kissing was just two sets of lips pressed against each other until Maggie first kissed Bianca. Now she couldn't _wait_ to kiss Bianca. To kiss and kiss and kiss her, one kiss becoming two, then four, then more. Deep and sensuous, light and teasing, pecks, lip-locks, every type of kiss, Maggie could honestly admit that making out with Bianca was her favorite thing to do in the entire world.

Maggie slipped her arms around Bianca's waist, pulling her closer, feeling their bodies mold together naturally. She loved the feel of Bianca's body under her hands and she always pressed her palms against Bianca, her fingers spread wide to absorb as much of the sensation as she could. Clutching a handful of Bianca's shirt in her hands, Maggie tugged it free of her jeans and quickly slid her hands inside. Hot, smooth skin met her fingers and she moaned into Bianca's mouth.

Bianca's hands slid easily into Maggie's hair, luxuriating in the silken texture, fingers gently caressing while holding Maggie close. The kiss moved effortlessly from gentle and luxurious to hungry and rapacious then back again. Clothing melted away and suddenly they were skin to skin.

They made love greedily, hands trailing fire over bare flesh, lips clinging and tongues stroking. Maggie's fingertips danced up Bianca's spine, causing the short, tactile hairs to quiver in her wake.

Slowly, she slid her lips to Bianca's throat, her nose brushed against the warm skin, her lips kissing the throbbing pulse beating there. Bianca slipped her fingers through Maggie's hair, sifting the warm golden locks through her fingers. She pressed her head back into her pillow, giving Maggie as much access as she needed to continue her heated assault on her neck.

Gently, Maggie nipped at Bianca's collarbone, then her shoulder as she kissed her way down a slender, alabaster arm. She pressed a kiss into Bianca's palm, feeling Bianca close her fingers around the kiss as her lips moved away. The warmth of a million suns shined on her soul as they kissed again.

Bianca took control and reversed their positions, nuzzling the spot behind Maggie's ear before pulling back to look in her eyes. She put her hand to Maggie's face, her fingers curling into blonde streaked hair, her thumb brushing gently along a perfect cheek. She watched as a smile lit Maggie's features, causing her own lips to curve upward before she lowered her head and captured that smile in a kiss. She tasted the smile on her lips, grinned happily and kissed Maggie again. Maggies's lips parted eagerly, inviting Bianca inside. Accepting the invitation, Bianca deepened the kiss until they forgot where one soul ended and the other began.

Whispered words of love floated on the air as eyes met and held, hands gripped hands, fingers lacing instinctively. The candlelit shadow of two bodies making love flickered on the walls. Two hearts beat in rhythm as the world fell away.

Some time later in the dark of night, Bianca lay on her side, the sheet pooled over her middle, her head on a pillow. Maggie lay behind Bianca, her head resting in her hand. Gently, she brushed her fingertips up and down Bianca's bare arm, smiling at the goose bumps that rose in her wake

"Maggie?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Um, where did you learn how to do that?"

With a grin, Maggie leaned forward and kissed Bianca's shoulder. She knew Bianca was asking about more than the last few hours they had shared.

"Research."

"Research?"

"Research."

Bianca glanced over her shoulder at Maggie. "What, exactly, does that mean?"

"Well, I can assure you it's not what you're thinking."

"How do you know what I'm thinking?" Bianca replied, settling back into her pillow once more.

Maggie grinned to herself. "Because you've got that tone in your voice."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Yep, there it is. And _that tone _is when you sound an awful lot like your mother." Maggie gently brushed a lock of hair off Bianca's cheek. "I mean I did a lot of reading and a lot of Googling on the Internet." She leaned close and kissed Bianca's neck, smiling against the smooth, warm skin. "And, no, I did not visit any porn sites, so you can relax."

"I wasn't thinking_ that_, either." But her tone belied that little fact. Then she couldn't help but smile, joining Maggie's gentle laughter.

"I didn't want to be a bumbling idiot, Bianca. I wanted to make sure... I wanted it to be all you ever dreamt of."

"It was." Bianca rolled onto her back and looked up into Maggie's eyes. "Are you still doing research?"

"Nah," Maggie smiled. "I've moved from research to practical applications. I think I learn more when I practice."

Bianca giggled. "I know I _like_ it when you practice."

"Yeah, me, too…"

Then, with a classic Stone grin, Maggie leaned in and covered Bianca's lips with her own. Anticipating the contact, Bianca returned the kiss enthusiastically, an arm snaking around Maggie's neck.

They made love again, teasing, joking, talking, laughing. The ease they felt with each other had returned, the familiarity returned quickly. They made up for a week without each other's touch.

They made up and then some…

-----

Bianca was brought back to the present as Maggie and Miranda shouted again for another Rangers goal. Watching them cheer, looking so much alike reminded her of Miranda's bath just hours before, when the little girl told her all about her day with Maggie:

"So, sweetie," Bianca said with a smile. "Did you and Maggie have fun today?"

Miranda bobbed her head once. "Yep. Wangers."

"I know, I'll have you dressed before the game starts. You want to tell me what you did today?"

"'Aggie do Ehmo!!"

"She did what?"

"Ehmo!"

"Okay..."

"An den, park! Twain wide!!" Miranda splashed the water with her rubber duck. "An den, an den, puppet show, two puppet show!"

Bianca widened her eyes at Miranda. "Two puppet shows?"

"Yeah! An den, fench fies. An den anover puppet show."

"Wow, three puppet shows?"

"Horsey wides! Lotta horsey wides!" The little girl held up both hands, fingers spread. "This many horsey wides!" She grinned at her mother. "Anover puppet show, too."

Bianca laughed as she shielded herself from the splashing water. "So, four puppet shows?"

"No, Mommie. Lotta puppet show," Miranda corrected as she pushed her rubber duck around in the tub. "An den, an den," she cocked her head slightly to the side. "Oh, core dogs, Mommie!"

"Core what?"

"Core doggies! An… an… poptorn too!"

"Oh, dear." Corn dogs and popcorn?

"No, poptorn," Miranda grinned.

Bianca eyed her daughter, wondering where she packed away all that food. And if she'd end up getting sick from it all. If she woke up in the middle of the night with an upset tummy, Maggie was going to be the one getting up to sit with her.

Afraid to ask, Bianca closed an eye and peered at Miranda. "Anything else?"

"Coppin canny!"

"What?"

"Coppin canny," the little girl reiterated emphatically. "Pink!"

"Oh! Cotton candy!"

"Yeeessss," Miranda said, her tone saying 'that's what I just _said_'.

At that Bianca smiled, remembering times when she and Maggie would end up at the boat house after a day in the park, laughing and eating cotton candy. One pink and one blue fluffy treat. Her smile turned sad for a moment. The last time she and Maggie had done that, they both had thought Miranda was lost. Much like she had with Miranda today, Maggie had taken Bianca to the park for some fun, to ease her sorrow...

"'Aggie's pretty cool, huh, Munchie?" Bianca whispered as she dried the little girl off with a big fluffy towel

"Yep," Miranda agreed with a sharp nod of her head. "'Aggie pwetty coo." She grabbed her mother in a tight hug. "Wangers, Mommy. Wangers."

"Okay, baby, let's get you dressed."

"Yay!"

After putting Miranda in a pair of jeans and her Rangers Messier jersey, the little girl ran off to the den where Maggie was waiting for her. They had curled up together and become absorbed in the game, cheering, laughing and even singing. Bianca left them alone, letting them repair the bond that had been damaged over the last week.

"Go Rangers!" Maggie yelled.

"Go Wangers!" Miranda echoed as she crawled into Maggie's lap.

Bianca grinned and pushed herself away from the door.

Mission accomplished, bond repaired.

Friday, February 17, 2006  
Paris, France

"Okay, sweetie, Mommie and 'Aggie won't be home from dinner for another hour or so," Greenlee said, settling on the sofa with Miranda. "Are you ready for your first lesson in cosmetics?"

"Yep," the little girl replied.

"Okay, here we go." She held up a compact. "This is powder. We use it to take the shine off our cheeks, nose and forehead…"

"Otay…"

As Greenlee continued her tutorial, Kendall snored daintily, amusing Miranda to giggles whenever she made a face.

"No, honey," Greenlee admonished, smiling at the little girl. "You don't use lipstick as a rouge."

"Why?" Miranda asked.

"Well, first off, you have to make sure your complexion is right for bright color like..." she checked the lipstick tube, "Candy pink... oooh..."

The next rolling snort shook Kendall out of sleep with a jolt.

"Wha-!" she croaked, unaware that her own snort had awakened her. Her bleary eyes locked onto a guilty looking Greenlee, who had her hands behind her back. "What?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Greenlee replied. "Right, Miranda?"

"Wight," Miranda agreed with a nod.

"Huh," Kendall muttered, giving them both a look. "I'm not sure I trust you."

The sound of the front door opening forestalled any reply by Greenlee and Kendall leapt to her feet to hurry out and greet Bianca and Maggie. The giggling couple looked up as they stumbled into the apartment, their laughter dying as they caught sight of Bianca's sister.

"Hey... Kendall...," Maggie managed, her voice trailing off in wonder. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop staring.

"Hi, guys," she chirped. "Did you have fun with Cody?"

Bianca's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Uh, yeah...," she stammered. Maggie gently nudged Bianca in the ribs, her eyes glued to Kendall. Bianca nudged Maggie back, trying desperately to look anywhere but at Kendall's face.

Kendall peered at the duo. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Bianca replied quickly. Too quickly. She glanced at Kendall and her eyes quickly dove away. She gave Maggie another nudge to stifle the giggle she could hear building in the blonde. "Nothing..."

"What?!" Kendall demanded. "Do I have something on my face?!"

Maggie snorted. "What _don't_ you have on your face," she replied, still laughing.

"What?"

Bianca gave Maggie a solid shot to the ribs, watching the blonde skitter sideways, still laughing, before throwing her a _stop it or I'll smack you again _look. "Um, Kendall? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"A mirror? Why-?" Just then, Kendall caught a glimpse of herself in the entry hall mirror. She did a double-take that nearly resulted in whiplash, her eyes popping open so wide Bianca was surprised they didn't fall out of her head and roll around on the Italian marble floor. "GREENLEE!!!"

The make-over Greenlee and Miranda had performed on Kendall looked like a reject from clown college. Slashes of lipstick on her cheeks, round pats of powder on her forehead, cheeks and chin, lip gloss for eye shadow and foundation on her lips. There was a smudge of what must have been mascara over one eyebrow and a glob of what appeared to be Fusion's latest innovative moist blush on the tip of her nose.

Greenlee emerged from the den with Miranda in her arms, the two of them smiling conspiratorially. "Yes?" she replied sweetly. When Kendall made a menacing move toward her, Greenlee quickly hurried for the stairs. "Now, now, Kendall! I've got your niece in my arms! You wouldn't want me to drop her, would you?"

"Oh, you are _so_ lucky!" Kendall looked in the mirror again, just to be sure of what she was seeing. "But you have to put her down sometime!!" She started up the stairs after the two make-up artists. "Then I'll get you!"

"I'll sleep in her crib with her if I have to!" Greenlee responded, before the door to Miranda's nursery closed with a slam.

Bianca and Maggie were left standing at the foot of the stairs, bemused looks on both their faces.

"Um, what was that?" Maggie asked, looking at Bianca and pointing weakly up the stairs.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I have _no_ idea..."

"You know, Binks, I'm seriously wondering if mental health issues might be a problem in your family." Maggie followed Bianca up the stairs to the master suite. "Showgirls, clowns... I fear for your sanity."

"Please, Maggie, don't start. If I recall correctly, you have dress-up issues."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, I'm not the one who brought a lab coat home so we could play Doctor Tiger and Naughty Nurse Boom-Boom."

"Hey, you enjoyed that!"

Bianca stopped at the bedroom door and gave Maggie a look. "Ha! Your stethoscope was cold!"

"Yeah, but you weren't complaining..."

With a shove, Bianca forced Maggie into the room, quickly shutting the door behind them...

-----

Bianca slowly came awake, finding herself wrapped tenderly in Maggie's arms. The house was silent, still cloaked in the darkness of night, silvery moonlight peeking through the window. Gingerly, she extricated herself from her warm cocoon in Maggie's embrace and slipped out of bed. As quietly and stealthily as possible, Bianca knelt at the bedside and opened the bottom drawer of her nightstand.

When the drawer squeaked in protest, she stopped immediately and poked her head over the side of the bed, hoping the noise hadn't awakened the gently snoring Maggie. When the blonde simply snorted, smacked herself in the face to rub her nose and rolled over, Bianca blew out a sigh of relief and rolled her eyes. Turning back to the drawer, she pulled it open the rest of the way and cautiously reached inside, withdrawing her hand once she found what she was searching for.

"Time to put you away," she whispered to the mini-DV cassette she held in her hand. "I know I told Maggie I'd destroy you, but I just don't know if I can... But heaven forbid Kendall or Greenlee found you and decided to watch."

Carefully shoving the drawer closed, she got to her feet and scurried toward the big walk-in closet. Unable to see where she was going in the dark, she smashed her pinkie toe into the small stepstool at the side of the bed.

"Aaaggghhh," Bianca groaned, trying desperately to keep from yelping out loud in abject agony as tears sprang to her eyes. Slapping one hand over her mouth and grabbing her poor injured pedi-digit in the other, she looked back at Maggie, who, luckily, was still dead to the world. Gingerly, she put her foot back to the carpet, testing the mangled toe. "Ow," she whispered. Taking a deep breath, she once again started for the closet. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," she gasped with each step.

Quickly moving inside the closet, Bianca door shut behind her before turning on the light. Still trying to be quiet, limping in pain, she went to the wall safe, entered the combination and opened it, pushing aside legal papers before locating the flat leather box in the back. Extracting the box and shoving the cassette between her teeth, Bianca gently opened the lid, revealing a thick strand of pearls nestled in the soft black velvet lining. Bianca pulled back the velvet and shoved the tape into the corner of the box, quickly tucking the lining back down, effectively hiding the cassette beneath.

Knowing how much Maggie hated the necklace, a gift from Erica to her beloved daughter, by referring to them as 'Mrs. Cleaver Pearls', Bianca figured the tape was safe in its new hiding place. Returning the box to its haven, Bianca shut the safe and spun the combination, then slipped out of the closet more quietly as she had entered.

She crawled back into bed at Maggie's side, sighing when Maggie instinctively pulled her into her arms again, pressing a sleepy kiss to her forehead.

"Okay?" Maggie mumbled.

Bianca grinned, remembering just what that tape contained. "Yeah, Tiger, I'm okay."

"Mmm, good..."

For some reason, that made Bianca giggle and she snuggled deeper into Maggie's arms. "Oh, yeah, you're _very_ good…"

TBC- An old character returns… Mr. Kendall Hart pays a visit


	9. No Subtitles Needed

**Only your voice can bring me peace  
Only your touch can bring me joy  
What more should I expect from this life  
When so many people  
Still search for love  
I know I never will explain  
This effect you have on me  
But if I have on you the same  
We'll be in love  
Eternally**  
Edith Piaf or Pat Benatar – _The Effect You Have on Me_

Chapter 9 – No subtitles needed

Late February, 2006  
Paris, France

The kiss was long and slow and Bianca savored every moment of it, but eventually, she pulled back. "You're trying to distract me, Maggie," she murmured, enjoying the feel of Maggie's mouth on her throat.

"Mmm, why would I do that?" Maggie asked innocently.

"Yeah," Bianca replied, completely unconvinced. "Why on earth would you do that?"

Maggie gently kissed her way back up Bianca's jaw line, nipping as she went. "You talk too much," she said, just before she attacked Bianca's lips with her own.

After a long, tasty minute, Bianca pulled back. "Yeah, and you're a chicken-shit."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, you heard me, Stone. You're afraid to talk about this."

Maggie sat back. "Did you just call me _chicken-shit_?"

"Yes, I did."

"When did you suddenly learn all these curse words?"

"Maggie…"

Maggie threw herself against the back of the couch, arms flung open, head thrown back. "Okay, okay," she sighed in resignation. "Talk."

"Jeez, it's not an Inquisition," Bianca muttered.

"Considering we're talking about _that woman_…"

Bianca sat back quickly. "My God, do you know how much like my mother you just sounded?"

"If you're trying to make me feel better, you're failing miserably."

"Maggie, you're being a weenie. Lena will be in Paris for a couple of days on business. She asked us- _us_, you and me- out for a drink. That's all."

"How convenient."

"Jeez, what is _with_ you?"

"The Stick Woman of Krakow is coming! _That's_ what's with me!" Maggie sighed. "I don't like her, Bianca. I hated what she did to you, lied to you, deceived you. And she got in my way."

"Oh, please, you got in your own way."

"Not the point!"

"Come on, Maggie." Bianca grabbed one of Maggie's arms and pulled her back into a sitting position. "There's nothing to be scared of."

"Nothing to be scared of?! In case you don't recall, Binks, the last time the name 'Lena'-," and Maggie actually shuddered, "came up, we had a fight and barely spoke for a week!"

"Yeah, and we got over it," Bianca replied with a nod. "Look, it's just drinks."

"Bianca-."

Bianca continued, ignoring Maggie's protest. "We go out, we have a couple drinks with her and we send her on her way," she insisted. "It's that simple."

"Huh," Maggie huffed. "'Simple' and 'Lena' are two words that do not go together." Attempting to maintain her resolve, Maggie looked anywhere but at Bianca's expressive eyes. Those eyebrows were hypnotic and suddenly, Maggie wilted under the pressure. "Oh, alright! Stop looking at me like that!"

Bianca grinned. "You are sooo easy."

Maggie sagged in resignation. "Yeah, right, whatever." She gave Bianca a sideways glance. "Just a couple drinks?"

"Two maximum."

"And then we send her on her way? And I never have to hear 'Beeyanka, my lahv' ever again?"

Bianca snorted, trying to hold in her laughter. "Never again," she replied earnestly. Jealous Maggie was really adorable.

"I plan on kissing you in front of her," Maggie warned.

"Please," Bianca replied with a smile, "be my guest."

"And my hands," Maggie continued, thinking more to herself than speaking to Bianca. "I'm going to put my hands all over you."

Now Bianca smiled with amusement. "Wow, are you threatening me? Because if you are, you really suck at it."

"She's going to know you're mine, that's for sure."

"Excuse me?"

"Huh, she's going to know that you belong to me." Maggie got up and began to pace. "All mine."

Bianca watched Maggie wearing a path in the rug while she schemed out loud. "You know, Maggie, while I like the caveman mentality in a purely sick and twisted kind of way, I am still in the room."

"'Hey, Lena, how are you? Bianca's mine.' I kinda like that." Maggie continued to pace as she tried out various ways of letting Lena know where she stood. Bianca sat and watched in morbid fascination. "'Hello, Lena. Don't touch the merchandise'."

"What?!"

"'Lena, lay one finger on what's mine and I'll rip your arm off and beat you over the head with it'."

"Hey!"

"Yeah, you're right, too violent..." She paused a moment. "I got it! 'Hey, Lena, I win!'"

Bianca blinked in shock. "Hey! Knuckle-dragger!" she shouted.

Maggie's eyes focused again and she looked back at Bianca. "What?"

"I don't mind the idea of you kissing me in front of Lena, but try to be the bigger person here."

Maggie gave Bianca a look. "Are you making a joke about my height?"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Good Lord, you are _such_ a guy..." She shook her head in exasperation and got up, heading for the kitchen.

"What?" Maggie asked, watching her girlfriend walk away. She held her arms out wide. "What did I say?!"

---

Two days later, Maggie sat Miranda down on the couch, taking a seat on the coffee table facing the little girl. Gently, she set aside the child's Elmo doll. "Okay, Munchie. Today, you are going to learn how to say my name right."

"Otay, 'Aggie," Miranda nodded.

"Say it with me, Maggie."

"'Aggie," the little girl replied.

"Maggie."

"'Aggie."

"Mmmmmmaggie."

"'Aaaaaaaggie," Miranda repeated, giggling this time.

"Maggie," the blonde said again, a tinge of frustration now present. "Come on, kiddo, we gotta get this right before Mommie gets home with that Polish reject from a bad foreign language film. Say it. Maggie."

"'Aggie."

"No. Maggie."

Miranda looked at Maggie intently. "No, 'Aggie," she dutifully repeated.

Maggie's let her head drop back and sighed in frustration. "Come on, Miranda, sweetie. Work with me here. Maggie."

"'Aggie."

"Maggie."

"'Aggie."

"Maggie!

"'Aggie!" Miranda crowed with a huge grin. "'Aggie! 'Aggie horny!"

Maggie jolted upright as her eyes popped wide open. "What did you say!?" she blurted, staring at the little girl in abject horror.

"'Aggie!" the little girl said again as she pointed at the future Dr. Stone with her tiny hand. "Horny!"

"Oh, my God, where did you learn that?!" she exclaimed.

Instead of answering, Miranda picked up her Elmo doll and danced it across the sofa cushions, repeating her new favorite phrase with each step, "'Aggie horny, 'Aggie horny, 'Aggie horny," ad infinitum.

"Miranda, no, honey, you can't say that."

Miranda peered at Maggie questioningly. "Why?"

"Because."

"'Cause why?"

"Because I said so." Yes, that was the correct parental response, Maggie was sure of it.

"Otay."

With Miranda's apparent acquiescence, Maggie sighed. "Good."

Miranda looked at Elmo for a long moment. Then, like a switch being flipped on, she began to giggle and shriek. "'Aggie horny! 'Aggie horny! 'Aggie horny!"

Maggie jumped. "Miranda! No!"

Then a struggle ensued, Maggie trying to corral a giggling, squealing, squirming Miranda, who was shouting "'Aggie horny!" at the top of her lungs, thinking they were playing a game. Somehow, the little girl managed to avoid the hand Maggie was valiantly attempting to cover Miranda's mouth with

"Miranda!"

"'Aggie horny!"

"Stop!"

"'Aggie horny!"

Maggie and Miranda were wrestling, Miranda shrieking and giggling, Maggie still trying to stifle the little girl, when...

"Maggie?"

"Aww, crap...," Maggie muttered, her head dropping until her chin practically hit her chest.

"'Aggie horny!"

Silence.

Bianca stood in the doorway to the den, Lena just a step behind her, as Miranda's final chortle slowly died away. Originally, she had thought it a good idea if Lena accompanied her to the apartment before they went out for drinks, starting things off on a sort of home-field advantage. _Okay, so, I was wrong... _she thought.

Instead, she found Maggie and Miranda in a rather interesting battle of wills, listening to her precocious daughter tell the world - well, Lena Kundera, at least - about Maggie's rather voracious sexual appetite. Bianca had wondered how long it would be before Miranda regaled Maggie, or Heaven forbid her mother, with her surprising phrase. Up until now, the little girl had been able to hold it in, but obviously, Maggie had coerced it out of her somehow.

"Maggie?" she asked again. Try as she might, Bianca couldn't keep the smile off her face at the forlorn look of her partner. Poor Maggie, head down, shoulders slumped, obviously aware of the fact she had lost this particular fight with an almost-2-year-old.

Maggie's head popped up, a smile plastered on her face. "Hi, guys!" she chirped with false brightness. Quickly, she jumped up and hurried to Bianca's side, reaching up to plant a healthy "message" kiss on the brunette's lips before turning to Lena. "Hi, Lena, how are you?"

"Hello, Maggie, it's good to see you-."

"'Aggie horny!" Miranda shrieked again.

"Okay!" Maggie shouted, rushing over to pick up the little girl. "Ha ha, Munchie! We get it!"

"'Aggie!"

"Yep, that's me." Maggie held the little girl close as she started for the door. "Be right back," she said with a sheepish grin.

Miranda patted Maggie's cheek. "'Aggie horny," she said with a gap-toothed grin, again patting Maggie's cheek as they headed for the stairs. "'Aggie horny, 'Aggie horny..."

"Yeah, yeah, I think we get the point, Munchie. We _all_ get the point."

Bianca glanced at Lena as they watched Maggie shepherd the overly-talkative tot up to her nursery and an evening of Kenlee entertainment. Lena just cocked an eyebrow at Bianca and gave her a sly, knowing grin.

"Go on," Bianca sighed. "Say it."

Lena chuckled. "I expected to find out more about your relationship with Maggie tonight, Bianca," she said in an amused voice, her accent thicker than it had been before. "But not necessarily in this manner. Or from this particular source."

Bianca blushed violently and looked away. "Um, well, you know how children can be…"

"No, actually, I don't." When Bianca's eyes came up quickly and met hers again, Lena just grinned. "But thank you for the warning."

---

They ended up at the Polo Room just off the Champs Elysees, a quiet American-owned martini bar that catered mostly to the business crowd. It was quieter than most, with a nearly 40-foot bar and more than 25 martini recipes to choose from.

They found a quiet table near the corner and sat awkwardly, waiting for the waitress to take their order and return. Their drinks were served and stilted conversation followed.

Maggie, true to her word, had her hands all over Bianca, a hand on her arm, fingertips brushing her shoulder as she spoke, slipping an arm around Bianca's waist and running her hand suggestively up her back. Bianca gave her a glare once when Lena was looking elsewhere, knowing Maggie had gotten a little _too_ handsy at that particular moment. Maggie returned the look with one of her own that said 'What? What did I do?' Bianca reached under the table and pinched Maggie hard on the inside of the knee, causing the blonde to jump and knock the table, sloshing dirty Martini's on the linen tablecloth.

"Behave," Bianca muttered through her teeth.

"I am," Maggie muttered back. Suddenly, Bianca got to her feet. "Where are you going?" Maggie asked in fear.

Eyes locked on Maggie, Bianca flipped open her silver Razr. "Bianca Montgomery."

Both Maggie and Lena looked on in horror as Bianca held up her index finger for their patience then walked toward the lounge area of the bar, intent on the telephone call she had received.

The two combatants looked at each other for a moment, awkward silence smothering them like a blanket. Suddenly, they broke eye contact. Maggie looked at her drink, stirring the gin with a swizzle stick. Lena looked everywhere else.

Lena cleared her throat. "So, Maggie-."

"So, Lena-," Maggie said at the same time.

"You first."

"No, you. I insist."

"Okay." Silence... "How's school?"

"Fine." Pause. "How's work?"

"Good."

Deafening, oppressive, like Russia-before-the-Iron-Curtain-fell silence descended once more.

"Bianca...," Maggie muttered through gritted teeth. "Hurry up, pleeeaasse."

Lena looked up from her martini. "Is everything okay, Maggie?"

_God, I hate that accent_. "What? Yeah, fine. Everything is... just... fine..."

"Are you sure?"

Maggie looked around for a waitress. "Where are our drinks?" she demanded. She glanced down. "Oh, yeah, they're right in front of us. Ha ha…."

More awkward silence fell over them, the only sound the rattle of ice from Maggie's drink against the glass. "So," Lena said suddenly, startling Maggie. "Tell me about Miranda. I noticed she has quite the language skills... 'Aggie."

Maggie's eyes narrowed momentarily then she forced a smile. "Yeah, Miranda is amazing. Always talking, even to strangers." She chuckled, her intention a little evil. "If I had a nickel for every time she said 'Mommie loves 'Aggie' to someone she didn't know…" Maggie sighed dreamily then gave Lena a look. "She says it constantly."

"I'll bet," Lena responded as she reached for her martini, forcing back the smirk that was about to form. "Does she speak publicly about your sex drive, too?"

Now Maggie grinned evilly, knowing she actually had the last word for once. "No," she replied. "But Bianca sure does."

Lena choked on her martini, Citadele gin spewing over the rim of her glass. Maggie slapped her on the back as she coughed, the liquor searing a path down her windpipe.

"You okay, Lena?" Maggie asked with mock-concern as she pounded away on the Polish woman's back. "Lena?" Maggie looked up at the table nearby, a group of businessmen with questioning looks on their faces. "She's okay," Maggie assured them. "Not used to the good stuff." _Smack, smack, smack_. "Okay now, Lena?"

Lena, coughing and turning a beautiful shade of tomato red, just nodded, trying to knock away Maggie's "helping" hand. The businessmen nodded knowingly and returned to their conversation.

Eventually, Lena got control of her coughing and glared at Maggie. "Get to the point, Maggie," she murmured as they both looked over to where Bianca was apparently engaged in a serious phone conversation. "What are you trying to say?"

"What do you mean, Lena?" Maggie asked innocently.

"Come, now, Maggie. We were never one to play games back in Pine Valley. Tell me what is really on your mind."

Maggie searched Lena's face, searching for just what she didn't know. But it was what she _didn't_ see there that finally allowed her to speak. "I just want you to know where you stand, Lena. You have no chance here. Bianca's mine, she belongs to me. And I belong to her."

Lena actually had the audacity to smile. "I know that, Maggie. I've known that for a very long time."

"Really," Maggie replied skeptically.

"Yes, Maggie, really. Once upon a time, Bianca said she loved me and I imagine in her own way, she did. But there was only one person she trusted completely, implicitly. One person she would turn to when she needed someone. And that was you. I hurt her too many times in too many ways. You were always there to pick up the pieces. And to be honest, you were always there between us."

"She was my best friend, Lena, I had to watch out for her. No one else did."

Lena took the pointed comment admirably, wincing only slightly. "She was in love with you, Maggie. She has been since well before she ever met me. And no matter how hard I tried, I could never take your place. And believe me, I tried."

"Yeah, I know," Maggie grumbled. "I know how hard you tried."

"I only tried so hard, Maggie, because you were too stupid to do it yourself."

"Excuse me?" Maggie growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Do not get angry with me, Maggie," the Polish beauty replied easily. "You were unwilling to accept all that Bianca offered back then. I was not. It's your own fault."

"I've learned from my mistakes," Maggie finally responded. "It'll never happen again, trust me. We're a family now, her, me and Miranda. Nothing will ever take that away."

"Not even me?"

"Especially not you."

Lena smiled knowingly. "I'm not here to steal her away from you, Maggie. Honestly, I never expected to speak to Bianca ever again after she sent my ring back."

"Are you sure about that?" Maggie asked, her voice dripping in skepticism.

"Yes, Maggie, I am." Lena nibbled one of her olives. "I will always love Bianca, Maggie. But, honestly, I never really had her. And I think I always knew that. Deep down, she did, too. She always knew it was you she truly loved. You have nothing to fear from me."

"I know, that, Lena. I've been with Bianca here in Paris for almost a year now. I know how she feels about me. And I finally understand my feelings for her." Maggie turned and looked Lena in the eye. "And they will never, ever change."

Instead of answering, Lena just met Maggie's gaze, slowly nodding in acquiescence. Finally, Maggie had figured out what Lena had truly known all along…

Then Maggie glanced over at Bianca, who was still engrossed in her phone call. "She's gorgeous, isn't she?"

Lena followed Maggie's gaze and smiled. "She's exquisite."

Finding the only common ground they had ever really shared, Maggie lifted her glass to Lena, who delicately touched their rims together. "To Bianca," Maggie toasted.

"To Bianca," Lena replied.

They drank and watched as the object of their affection concluded her telephone call and made her way back to the table.

Maggie grinned into her drink. "Touch her ever again and I'll rip your arm off and beat you to death with it," she said conversationally.

Lena snorted. "I'd like to see you try."

"Don't tempt me." Maggie turned her attention to Bianca as if nothing were going on. "Hey, sweetie! What was the phone call all about?"

Bianca just gave Maggie a pained smile. "Later, Tiger," she replied softly.

Lena's eyebrow quirked. "Tiger?"

Maggie just grinned at her.

Later that evening, Bianca and Maggie sent Lena on her way, dropping her off at the Hotel Ritz with kind words and, on Maggie's part, a not-so-gentle shove out the car door.

"You two take care of each other," Lena said with a smile, her gaze taking in both young women. "And be good to each other."

Maggie smiled slyly. "We're _very_ good to each other…" she murmured, earning another surreptitious glare from Bianca.

Lena, for her part, assured Bianca that she would turn over the handling of Lukor-Polska's acquisition by Cambias to her assistant, ensuring that she and Bianca would have, essentially, minimal contact in the future, if for no other reason than the risk of any appearance of impropriety. Maggie breathed a momentary sigh of relief, knowing that they would finally be able to lay the ghost of Lena Kundera to rest, along with the bones of Babe Carey-Cramer-Chandler-Carey-Chandler…

Lena glanced at Maggie. "Good-bye, Maggie."

"See ya."

"Bianca," Lena whispered, turning to the brunette. "Knowing you has been my greatest joy," she said softly. "Hurting you is without a doubt my greatest mistake." Maggie rolled her eyes. "Be happy."

Bianca gave Lena a smile. "I already am, Lena. I really am."

"Good." With a regretful sigh, Lena leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to Bianca's cheek.

_Okay, that's enough,_ Maggie thought, watching as the Polish woman practically glued her lips to Bianca's skin. _Get your skinny lips of my woman, you beanpole!_

Just as Maggie started to lunge at Lena, the taller woman stepped back and Bianca threw a knowing arm out to impede Maggie's progress. "Good-bye, Lena," Bianca murmured gently.

"Good-bye, Bianca."

Graceful, composed and bruised of heart, Lena turned and entered the hotel's grand lobby. Amassing every last shred of dignity she possessed, she refrained from turning one last time and gazing at Bianca. No, better to leave that to memories of happier times…

---

"What were you going to do?" Bianca asked, admonishing Maggie with a look. "Jump her right here on the sidewalk?"

"She was all over you, Binks," Maggie responded, waving an arm in the direction they had just come. "What, I was _supposed_ to let her maul you?"

Bianca rolled her eyes and gave Maggie a gentle shove towards the car. "She kissed me on the cheek, you dork." With a smile, she waited as Maggie held her car door open for her. "Besides, she'd have snapped you like a twig."

"No way!"

"Way."

They returned home not much later to an eerily quiet house. Only a couple lights burned in the living room and a flickering glow emanated from the closed glass door to the den, an indication that the TV was probably still on.

"Kendall?" Bianca called out cautiously. "Greenlee?"

Maggie's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Miranda?"

Shrugging at Maggie, and getting a shrug in return, Bianca headed for the den, opening the door and stopping in her tracks.

"Oh. My. God."

Maggie came to a stop directly behind Bianca, her eyes bugging out of her head comically. "What the hell-?"

Before them, the den lay in ruins. Every available surface was covered in toys. From stuffed animals to books to toddler board games, the room was a veritable playground, lying beneath a littering of Miranda's playthings. The TV was on, the screen glowing blue where the DVD player had apparently turned itself off after extended inactivity, and the stereo was playing a House of Mouse CD.

Propped in one corner, hair a tangled mess over her eyes, sat Kendall, an Eeyore toy clutched in one hand and an unopened bottle of apple juice in the other. One Manolo Blahnick was hanging off her toes, the other was twisted up in a life-size plastic game board for Candyland. Her expensive silk blouse was half pulled out of the waistband of her equally expensive leather and suede skirt, the skirt hiked up around her knees revealing a huge run in her stockings. She was sound asleep.

And snoring.

"Oh, thank God," Maggie breathed, putting a hand to her heart. "I was afraid she was dead."

"Um, Maggie?" Bianca whispered, entering the room as if it were a minefield and picking her way carefully towards her sister.

"Yeah?" Maggie replied, moving in the opposite direction behind the sofa toward the desk.

"Where's Greenlee?"

Suddenly, Maggie's foot collided with something soft. She looked down. "Uh, right here."

Half beneath the desk lay Greenlee, face down on the carpet. Her hair completely obscured her face, but she too was sound asleep. The ends of her hair were clumped together by what appeared to be a handful of neon pink Play-Doh with sparkles in it. She had a Kermit the Frog stuffed animal gripped tightly in one hand and a life-sized teddy bear sprawled across her back. Her cashmere sweater and Italian wool slacks were in no better shape than Kendall's clothes.

Maggie bent down to shake the woman awake, but suddenly yanked her hand back. "Eww! She's drooling!"

As she rounded the coffee table, Bianca suddenly smiled. Sitting in the middle of her blanket, Elmo doll in her hand, Leo the cat in her lap, was Miranda, playing quietly, babbling nonsense to both doll and kitty. At the intrusion, the little girl looked up and smiled.

"Momma!" she exclaimed, grinning at the sight of her mother coming towards her.

"Hi, baby girl," Bianca replied, picking her daughter up in her arms. "Did you have fun with Aunt Kendall and Aunt Greenlee?"

"Yep, did," Miranda replied, still holding onto Elmo. She looked into her mother's eyes. "Aunt Kenah funny. She fall down."

"Oh, she did, did she?'

"Yeah, she say fings 'Aggie say are bad."

Bianca tried to hide her smile. "Really?"

"Yeah. Aunt Gweenwee yell at her. They yell wot. Yell woud."

"I'm sure they do." Bianca looked at her slumbering sister and step-sister. "Well, they sure have a mess to clean up, don't they, Munchie?"

"Yep."

"Let's go get ready for bed, sweetie. Maggie can wake them up."

Miranda gave Kendall a curious glance. "Otay."

"Yeah, gee, thanks," Maggie muttered as Bianca and Miranda slipped out of the room. "Hmm…" She looked back and forth from Kendall to Greenlee. "Okay, get up," she said softly, with no intention of being around when either woman finally awoke from slumber. "And clean up this mess." There was a long pause. "Good night." Then she made a hasty retreat from the room.

---

"Okay, sweetie," Bianca said softly, gently settling Miranda into her crib. "Sleep time."

"Otay, Momma." The little girl lay down and looked up at her mother, accepting the Elmo Bianca held out to her. "Where 'Aggie?"

"Right here, Munchie," Maggie replied, entering the room a step ahead of Leo. "You go to sleep now and we'll have pancakes for breakfast, okay?"

"Pwomise?"

Maggie put one hand to her heart and held the other one up as if taking the oath of office. "I promise, sweet pea."

"Otay."

After they both kissed their daughter good night, Maggie took Bianca's hand and led her toward the master suite. "So," she said softly so as not to disturb the little girl. "Are you ever going to tell me what that phone call was about earlier?"

Bianca sighed, thinking back on the call that had come at the Polo Room. "Um, well," she sighed, "it was about work."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." Bianca put her hand to her forehead, rubbed her face tiredly. "I have to go out of town. On a business trip. Monday. To Germany."

_WHAM!_ Maggie walked smack into the doorframe.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, bouncing off the wood and stumbling backwards. "Ow!"

"Watch your language, Maggie!"

"Wait a minute!" Maggie replied, quickly darting through the doorway to Bianca's side in their bedroom. "What was that? Did you say Germany?" The brunette nodded sheepishly. "You're going to Germany?"

"Yes."

"Monday?"

Bianca sighed. "Yes."

"It's Friday."

"I know."

"You're leaving Monday?"

"Again, yes."

"Why?! How?! What?! NO!"

Bianca sighed. "I have no choice, Maggie. I have to go."

"Wow, you don't seem nearly as upset as I am."

"Oh, trust me," Bianca replied as she headed to the bathroom, reaching up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm upset about it."

Maggie went limp as she followed Bianca. "Why do _you_ have to go?" she whined.

"I don't know, Maggie. Something about me being the mother of the heir to the Cambias empire or something silly like that."

"Oh, sure," Maggie replied, flopping onto the bed. "Play the whole running a Fortune 100 company for the sake of your daughter's legacy card, why don't you?"

Bianca grinned and crawled onto the bed, slowly slinking her way up Maggie's body until she was poised above the future-Dr. Stone. "Hey, Maggie?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

Maggie matched Bianca's grin with one of her own. "Oh, my, it's Ms. Chairperson of the Board," she replied, her hands sliding up Bianca's arms to her shoulders. "Are you wanting to do business with me?"

"I'm wanting to _get busy_ with you," Bianca informed her, nuzzling Maggie's neck and pressing kisses to the tender flesh.

"Oh," Maggie replied, letting her head fall back to give Bianca better access. "I see, you're wanting to _give_ me the business…"

Bianca pulled back and leaned in to brush her lips over Maggie's, pressing the slight body into the soft cloud-like mattress. "Hmm, this may even lead to a hostile takeover."

"Huh-uh," Maggie murmured, sliding her hands into Bianca's hair to hold her close. "Nothing hostile about this. I think this is a merger. A very friendly merger."

Bianca's eyes were dancing with laughter. "Wow…," she replied softly. "Who knew business-talk was so hot."

With a laugh, Maggie pulled Bianca close and kissed her, savoring the brunette's heady taste. Bianca settled her weight gently atop Maggie and worked her arms around the smaller woman's back, pulling her body in close. Curves melded into curves and the night turned sultry.

The next morning, Maggie dragged herself out of bed and, bleary-eyed, weak-kneed, exhausted, made pancakes for Miranda.

A promise is a promise…

---

Monday morning, Maggie sullenly drove Bianca to the airport for her flight to Berlin and her business meetings. Kendall and Greenlee sat, once again, in the back seat goading each other like little children.

"Yeah, well, you're just jealous," Greenlee said at one point.

"Jealous? Of what? Your shoes?"

"What's wrong with my shoes?!"

Kendall snorted. "Nothing... if you like that look."

"Look? What look?!"

"Well, if I have to tell you..."

Greenlee grabbed her foot and pulled it up onto her lap. "These are 700 dollar Jimmy Choo's!" she informed the curly headed woman, pointing at the cute leather shoe.

"Seven hundred dollars!" Kendall exclaimed. "You got robbed!"

"You have 2 pair exactly like these!"

"I must have been delirious when I bought them."

"So how's that different from any other day," Greenlee mumbled

"I heard that!

"You were supposed to!"

Maggie leaned forward and beat her head against the steering wheel. "Kill me... kill me... kill me...," she muttered in unison with each thump.

"Maggie," Bianca whispered, putting a comforting hand over Maggie's steering wheel death-grip. "It's okay.

Maggie turned her eyes to the brunette. "Take me with you," she pleaded. "Please? Please?!"

Bianca glanced into the back seat at the Bickerson's. "You need to keep an eye on Miranda," she informed her girlfriend. "Save her from growing up like that."

"It may be too late," Maggie replied. "I swear I heard her say Louis Vuitton the other day…"

"Well," Bianca sighed. "At least she's speaking French…"

Bianca's jet was in final flight preparation stages when they arrived in the terminal with almost 30 minutes to spare. One of the quirks of having your own company jet was not having to deal with the crowds and hassle of the main terminals. They were lead to the Cambias lounge and waited until the Cambias attendant came to get Bianca.

Kendall poured herself and Greenlee coffee in Wedgewood china cups while Maggie pulled Bianca into a quiet corner.

"Oh, look!" Greenlee exclaimed. "Fresh fruit!" She hurried over to the buffet set up by the 48" plasma screen TV. "And eggs! Rolls! What the hell?" She spun on Kendall. "Why doesn't Erica have this in the Enchantment lounge?"

Kendall rolled her eyes. "God, you're a mooch."

It wasn't long, at least to Maggie and Bianca, before the attendant opened the door to the jetway.

"Mademoiselle Montgomery," he said, bowing slightly. "L'avion est prêt."

"Merci, Claude," Bianca replied, taking Maggie's hand and leading her toward the jetway door. "Un moment, sil vous plait."

"Oui, Mademoiselle."

He ventured back down the ramp to the jet while Bianca turned to Maggie.

"I'm going to miss you," Maggie whispered, her lips brushing against Bianca's.

"I'm going to miss you, too."

"Call me."

Bianca pressed her lips to Maggie's, taking a long moment to taste her girlfriend's mouth. "Every day," she breathed. "As soon as I can."

Maggie put her forehead to Bianca's. "I don't know how I'm going to sleep at night without you beside me."

"I know, I know. But I promise to call you every night before I go to sleep. It'll be just like I'm there."

Maggie snorted in disbelief. "No, it won't. I'll know you won't be there because I won't be able to touch you."

Bianca pulled Maggie into her arms and buried her face in the blonde's fragrant tresses. "I'm going to miss you so much. I don't want to be away from you."

"I know, Sweetie, I feel the same way."

"Oh, my God!" Kendall shrieked suddenly from behind them. "It's for three freakin' days! She'll be home on Thursday! You'll barely notice she's gone!"

Bianca made a move toward her sister but Maggie held her by the waist. "Whoa, there, Boom-Boom," she said. "Let it go. Just let it go."

After kissing Maggie one last time and tossing her sister a death-glare, Bianca disappeared down the jetway and onto the Cambias Learjet. Claude closed the door behind her and bowed once more before returning to his station.

Maggie watched the jet ascend into the sky and sighed. Three days without her Binkinator…

"You realize, of course," Kendall's voice sounded in her ear. "That Berlin is really close to Poland."

Maggie spun around and got in Kendall's face. "You know," she said conversationally, despite having her nose practically bumping the taller girl's. "I could kill you and get away with it." She backed Kendall into the lounge wall. "Trust me, I know how. I'm a medical student. You think we don't need cadavers?"

Kendall's eyes widened in fear and she slithered along the wall until she was several steps away from Maggie. Turning away quickly, she grabbed Greenlee by the arm and hurried to the car, making sure to keep Greenlee between herself and Maggie.

---

The phone calls began the moment Bianca arrived in her suite in Berlin. Each day, every day, sometimes more than once a day, Bianca would call Maggie. Maggie would barricade herself in the master suite and they would talk for what might possibly have been hours.

"How can she actually be doing business?" Greenlee asked Kendall at one point. The two of them were playing with Miranda in the den while Maggie raced up the stairs to the bedroom, giggling at something Bianca had said. "The two of them are on the phone all the time." Greenlee paused. "Hey," she said, a stray thought occurring to her. "Do you think they-."

"Don't say it!" Kendall exclaimed, having had the same stray thought.

"Have phone sex?"

Kendall dropped her head into her hands. "Ah, God… you had to say it, didn't you? Now all I can hear is my baby sister having phone sex with Maggie…" She sighed. "I'll never be able to use the phone again…" Then she glanced at Greenlee. "And you're awfully curious about what they do behind closed doors. I'm beginning to wonder about you."

Greenlee blinked at Kendall. "Oh, ha ha…" she replied feebly.

---

"How is everything?" Maggie asked, shutting the door quickly behind her and curling up in the bergére chair in the corner. "Are you coming home soon?"

"Oh, my work is almost done here," Bianca replied, stretched out on the bed in her hotel suite in Berlin. She wrapped the phone cord around her finger idly.

"Good, 'cuz I got plans when you get back." Maggie paused, pressing the phone closer to her ear and purring seductively into the mouthpiece. "Because I'd like to..."

Bianca gasped at Maggie's words. Then she smiled and settled down further into the soft warm bed. "Go on…"

"And...," Maggie growled softly, continuing her explicit train of thought.

Suddenly, Bianca was sweating. She ran her palm across her forehead and closed her eyes, swallowing hard against sudden dryness in her throat.

"And...," came the dark, sultry voice across the phone line.

"Maggie!" Bianca finally exclaimed, unable to take any more. _Is this phone waterproof_, she thought to herself. _Because I need a seriously cold shower __**right now**__…_

"What?" Maggie asked innocently.

"Stop," Bianca pleaded. "Please… I can't take it."

Maggie was silent for a moment. "So, what are you wearing?"

"Maggie!" Long pause. _Oh, what the hell_. "What are _you_ wearing?"

"Rangers jersey... and nothing else."

"Aw, God…"

"No, it's M-a-g-g-i-e…"

"Maggie," Bianca breathed.

"Yeah, Boom-Boom, that's me."

When the weird 'thump' sound came down through the ceiling, not once but twice, Kendall and Greenlee quickly scooped up Miranda, bundled up in their coats and fled the apartment.

---

By Thursday, Maggie was a mess. She missed Bianca so much she had completely overslept two days in a row, missing two lectures and a test, and nearly blew up the Chem Lab by accidentally mixing sulfur and tetraphenyllead before Cody stopped her.

She and Miranda spent the evenings in Miranda's room, playing and talking so much that Greenlee began to worry about the girl's sanity.

At 4:30, Maggie raced into the apartment, threw her backpack in the den and ran out after placing a quick kiss on Miranda's head.

Greenlee and Kendall watched the blonde rush past them. "Talk about withdrawal," Kendall muttered.

"Oh, you think?"

"No, don't say it."

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if they both exploded right then and there in the airport."

"Ugh," Kendall groaned as she turned and walked away. "You so need to get laid."

"Tell me something I _don't_ know…," Greenlee muttered, flopping back on the sofa dejectedly.

---

A blue Mercedes CL55 from Cambias sat at the curb in front of the building and Maggie jumped in, fired it up and rushed to the airport. Bianca could have had a driver bring her home, but Maggie insisted on picking her up herself, beyond anxious just to see her girlfriend again.

Parking quickly, Maggie hurried inside. The attendant, Claude, opened the door to the jetway just as Maggie rushed into the lounge, giving her a smile as he did so. Moments after he stepped away, Bianca walked through the door.

"Binks!" Maggie exclaimed, rushing up to her girlfriend.

"Hey, Tiger."

"God, I missed you."

Bianca grinned as she felt Maggie's arms slide around her waist. "I missed you, too-."

Before she could finish, Maggie had kissed her, capturing her lips hungrily. Almost instantly, Bianca dropped her briefcase and coat and slipped her arms around Maggie's neck, pulling her close and kissing her back.

After a long moment, Maggie pulled back, then kissed Bianca once more. "You taste good," she whispered. "What is that? Chocolate?

"Actually, I think it's the gum I was chewing."

"There's such a thing as chocolate chewing gum?"

Bianca laughed. "No, silly, it was peppermint."

"No," Maggie murmured, reaching up to kiss Bianca again. Longer this time. "I definitely taste chocolate," she whispered after the kiss ended.

"You're nuts."

Maggie grinned. "Yeah, about you..."

Bianca's head began to dip as she prepared to give Maggie a kiss when a throat was cleared behind them. Turning a delicate shade of pink, Bianca pulled back and looked over her shoulder.

"Pardon, Mademoiselle," Claude said sheepishly. "Your luggage is at the curb."

"Merci, Claude," Bianca replied, still blushing from having been caught attempting to make out with Maggie in the Cambias lounge. "Bonne nuit."

"Bonne nuit, Mademoiselle Montgomery. Mademoiselle Stone."

Maggie grinned at Bianca. "Let's go home."

"Please."

As Claude had said, Bianca's luggage was sitting beside the Mercedes at the curb. Maggie loaded them into the trunk of the car and turned to Bianca.

Pretending to trip on a crack in the sidewalk, Maggie plowed into Bianca, pushing her up against the car door and bracing her hands on the dark blue metal, pinning Bianca in with her body. Laughing at Maggie's obvious move, Bianca slid her arms around Maggie's shoulders.

"I am so glad you're home," Maggie breathed, her lips lightly brushing Bianca's. "I don't ever want to sleep without you beside me."

"I don't think I slept at all this past week," Bianca replied.

"Well, don't plan on getting any sleep tonight, either."

"Mmm, sounds like a plan."

Waggling her eyebrows at Bianca and grinning, Maggie pressed forward and captured warm, soft lips with her own. Before Bianca could respond, Maggie pulled back, an impudent teasing smile on her lips. Bianca followed and they laughed between nibbling little kisses and words of love.

So engrossed were they in their own little world that neither of them noticed the figure standing by a car near where they were parked, telephoto lens resting on the roof of his Peugeot, finger pressed to the shutter button, frame after frame being snapped off.

Maggie nuzzled Bianca's throat. "I can't wait to get you home," she mumbled against the porcelain skin. "I'm going to lock us in the bedroom until Saturday."

"Um, Maggie," Bianca whispered back. "We have a daughter, you know."

"Yeah, we'll say hi on our way upstairs."

"Maggie!"

Maggie pulled back and grinned at Bianca. "Okay, okay. Come on," she murmured, opening the passenger door of the Mercedes. "Let's go home."

"Yes, let's."

They had barely gotten on the car when Bianca reached over and kissed Maggie again. Maggie eagerly returned the kiss before starting the massive engine on the Mercedes and pulling away from the curb. Slipping her hand into Bianca's, Maggie held on tightly as she turned them back towards Paris.

Bianca attempted to put her head on Maggie' shoulder. "Stupid bucket seats," she muttered, trying to find a comfortable position so she could rest her head where it was. "Man, they don't make luxury cars for cuddling, do they?"

"Well, no, Binks, I don't think that's a consideration when they design these things."

Bianca pouted. "But what if I want to do this?" she asked, kissing Maggie's neck then nipping at the skin.

Maggie accidentally hit the gas, the car surging forward. "Oh, oops, ha ha."

"Or this," Bianca continued, nibbling her way up to Maggie's earlobe before taking it gently between her teeth.

The car swerved over the center line. "Holy crap, Binks!" Bianca just giggled huskily. "I think _that's_ why they don't design luxury cars for cuddling, I almost had a wreck!"

Despite the admonition from Maggie, Bianca kept up her assault on her girlfriend's neck, ear and throat. Maggie, for her part, was having a hard time driving with one hand while the other attempted to fend off the overly amorous Montgomery woman.

"Okay," Maggie said finally, exiting the A1 to the A3 and the opposite direction of their apartment. "You realize, of course, that this means war."

Bianca glanced up at the blonde. "What do you mean?"

"You can't get me all worked up when I'm behind the wheel of a hundred thousand dollar car, Bianca." She maneuvered the Benz to the south side of Paris and the Bois de Vincennes Park.

"Maggie…," Bianca said warily, watching Maggie turn off Avenue de Saint Maurice onto a narrow road that led deeper into the park. "What are you doing?"

"Finding a little out of the way place for us."

"What?"

"You started this, Boom-Boom."

Bianca looked at Maggie goggle-eyed. "We're going _parking_?!"

Maggie grinned at Bianca then turned onto yet another narrow road, one that featured trees growing over the dirt path to canopy the ground in darkness. "Oh, yeah!" she said with a chuckle. "I'd be willing to bet that the daughter of the great Erica Kane has never been necking in the back seat of a car before in her life."

Bianca huffed. "Well, you'd be wrong," she mumbled.

"What?!" Maggie exclaimed. "Why, Bianca Montgomery, I am shocked and amazed. And just a little turned on by the fact." She stopped the car and turned off the engine, shrouding them in darkness, then turned to face the brunette. "Tell me more. Who? Where? When?"

Bianca sighed softly. "Up near David's cabin there's a place where teenagers go to neck. It kind of overlooks the lake."

"And when was this, Ms. Montgomery?"

"Um, I was 17."

"Yes?" Maggie urged. "And?"

"And we went up there in my mom's BMW and parked and climbed into the backseat to make out. We weren't very good at it. I think we were both extremely nervous." She shook her head. "Kinda like now," she murmured under her breath.

"And who was the lucky girl? Who got you into the back seat for the very first time?"

"Maggie…"

Maggie shook her head. "No, it wasn't me. I think I'd distinctly remember something like that." She grinned. "Come on, Binks, who?"

"Come on, Maggie."

"Tell me, Binks."

"Maggie…"

"Bianca." She started teasing the brunette. "Come on, tell me. Tell me, tell me, tell me."

"It was Frankie! Okay? Now do you see why I didn't want to tell you?"

Maggie chuckled. "Binks, did you think I would freak out?"

"Huh, yeah. I mean, your twin sister was the first person I ever made out with in the back seat of a car."

"Yeah, okay." Then Maggie leaned close and brushed a kiss over Bianca's lips. "And Frankie's twin sister is the _last_ person you'll ever make out with in the back seat of a car." She pressed closer, attempting to capture Bianca's lips again. "See?"

Bianca put a hand to Maggie's shoulder to hold her off for a moment. "Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"Of course I am." Bianca's look said she was wholly unconvinced. "Bianca, do you love me?"

"You know I do."

"You ever plan on doing this with anybody else?"

"No. I'm not even sure I'm planning on doing it with _you_."

"Then what should I be worried about? I'm yours, Binks. All yours." She leaned in again and kissed Bianca, seeking entrance eagerly.

Bianca pushed her back quickly. "Who was your first time?"

"Excuse me?"

"In the back seat of a car. Who was your first time? I told you, it's only fair that you tell me."

Maggie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Jamie…" she mumbled so softly Bianca wasn't sure she heard.

"Who?"

"Jamie!" Maggie shouted. "Jamie, okay?! Oh, God, it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it!" She shuddered. "You know the old Stone flight instinct, run from Bianca to first available man? Ugh, it was Jamie…" Bianca couldn't contain her laughter. "It's not funny! I kiss you and end up with Jamie in Adam Chandler's limo!" Bianca was howling at Maggie's admission. "And do you know what a rotten kisser he is? He has the roughest lips! I swear, he uses sandpaper Chapstick!"

Bianca felt tears of laughter leak out of her eyes. "Oh, poor Maggie."

"It gets better," Maggie replied. "We got arrested."

"You got arrested for having sex in Adam Chandler's limo?!? And you want to try again _here_?!_Now_?!"

"Oh, you bet I do. I need a good experience to wipe out the memories of that last one." She shimmied between the bucket seats of the Mercedes into the butter-soft leather of the curving back seat. "Come here, Boom-Boom."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I just know I'm going to regret this," she muttered, following after Maggie into the rear seat. "I can see the headlines now: _'Cambias Head Arrested In Flagrante Delicto with Girlfriend in Parc Bois de Vincennes'_."

"The only thing you're going to regret, Binks," Maggie replied, pulling the brunette to her and cradling her head with one hand, "is not having done this sooner."

"Shut up and kiss me, Maggie. Before I lose my nerve."

Chuckling sexily, Maggie pulled Bianca against her and covered her lips in a kiss. One hand still cradled her head, the other slipped down to tug the silk blouse from Bianca's sleek black slacks and surge up her back to find bare skin. Bianca returned the kiss and mimicked Maggie's actions, pulling up the hem of Maggie's sweater and slipping her hand inside.

Bianca's reticence evaporated like a water drop on a sizzling griddle, turning to hot steam and dissipating. Her hands still shaking nervously, heartbeat thundering in her chest, she somehow managed to take control of the moment, pressing herself ever so gently into Maggie's body, kissing her deeper, hungrier.

They broke the kiss reluctantly, Bianca diving in to kiss and nuzzle Maggie's throat. Maggie tilted her head back into the plush leather of the rear seat.

"See there, B?" she asked breathlessly, one hand still tangled in dark chocolate locks. "Nothing to worry about…"

---

The front door to the apartment burst open.

"I think I have a Charley Horse," Bianca muttered, dumping her briefcase and door keys on the entry hall table.

"Yeah," Maggie muttered, rubbing the back of her head. "I would have thought a Mercedes would have more comfortable back seats than that. What idiot decided a center console would be a good thing in a back seat?"

"The leather was nice, though. And it's a good thing they come with that dual climate control and heated rear seats, it's chilly outside."

"I don't know, Binks, I was kinda warm…"

Before Bianca could respond, they heard the sound of bickering, once again, coming from the den. Dropping the suitcases in the entry hall, Maggie led the way to the French doors leading to the room.

"I'm not stupid, you're stupid."

"No, I'm not, _you're_ stupid."

"Yeah, well, you're more stupider."

"You're more stupider than me."

"Huh-uh."

"Yuh-huh."

"At least I'm not married to Zach Slater."

Silence.

"_WHAT_ did you just say?!?!" Bianca exclaimed.

TBC-


	10. Here Comes the Bride

Disclaimer - This update is intended for the private use of our audience and any reproduction, rebroadcast, or any other accounts of this update without the prior written consent of the National Football League is strictly prohibited.

Any dialogue between "-" indicates French language translated to English. This is the chapter that spawned the _Maggie's Girl_ Series of short stories...

This chapter rated "E" for everyone…

**She was a long cool woman in a black dress  
About five nine beautiful tall  
With just one look I was a bad mess**  
'**cause that long cool woman had it all**  
The Hollies – _Long, Cool Woman in a Black Dress_

Previously on _Maintaining Balance_:

"I'm not stupid, you're stupid."

"No, I'm not, _you're_ stupid."

"Yeah, well, you're more stupider."

"You're more stupider than me."

"Huh-uh."

"Yuh-huh."

"At least I'm not married to Zach Slater."

Silence.

"_WHAT_ did you just say?!?!" Bianca exclaimed.

Chapter 10 – Here Comes the Bride

Paris, France  
March 2006

Silence fell over the room as Kendall and Greenlee both froze in shock. Maggie thought Kendall couldn't have looked more like a goldfish gasping for air if she were lying on the floor and flopping around as if she's managed to escape her tank.

"_What_ did you say?" Bianca repeated.

Greenlee and Kendall looked at Bianca, then at each other, then back to Bianca.

Suddenly, Greenlee smiled. "I said that this year I didn't think that the Phillies had a _prayer_."

Bianca's eyes narrowed. "You two don't strike me as the type to discuss football."

"Baseball," Maggie muttered softly to Bianca.

"Baseball," Bianca corrected hurriedly.

"We were discussing the musical ramifications of the band _Slayer_?" Kendall offered.

"Ah, yes," Bianca remarked with an understanding nod of her head. "The two metalheads having a hairband discussion."

"We thought it would be neat if David ran for _mayor_?" Greenlee asked.

"Today at lunch we had a really bad _waiter_!" Kendall replied simultaneously.

Bianca crossed her arms over her chest and just eyed the two women she and Maggie still secretly referred to as Kenlee, knowing how much Kendall hated the name. Both women started to squirm uncomfortably.

"Okay, you caught us!" Greenlee said in exasperation. "We were talking about how Maggie suddenly couldn't be any _gayer_!"

Maggie started to lunge at the smaller woman, who squeaked in fear and jumped off the sofa. Bianca caught her girlfriend around the waist, but never took her eyes off Kendall.

"You want to tell me about you and Zach Slater?" she asked softly.

Kendall looked at her sister with saucer-sized eyes. "Um, no?" she gulped.

"Tell me or I let Maggie go."

"Not a very effective threat, Binks," Kendall replied. "You're assuming I would care if Maggie beats Greenlee to a pulp."

"Kendall Hart-Slater!" Greenlee shrieked in fear as Maggie lunged again.

"Alright, I married Zach Slater!" Kendall shouted, leaping to her feet. "We got married, but got divorced then I married him again! Okay? I _am_ my mother's daughter!"

Greenlee looked at Maggie. "I think Maggie is a really good _skater_?" she said in one last feeble attempt at appeasement.

Everyone turned and looked at Greenlee.

Maggie shook her head. "You rode the short bus to school, didn't you?" Greenlee stuck out her tongue at Maggie. "Yeah, I thought so."

Bianca gave her sister a non-judgmental look, one full of understanding and compassion. "Tell me what happened, Kendall," she urged softly, letting Maggie go and moving to sit beside Kendall on the sofa.

Kendall sighed. "Can it wait, Binks? Please? I promise to tell you all about it, but I need a little time."

"Okay," Bianca agreed, taking Kendall's hands in her own. "We'll talk later. After I get unpacked."

"Alright."

As Bianca returned to Maggie's side and they turned for the door, Greenlee spoke up. "Hey, where the hell have you two been, anyway? Bianca's flight got in at 5:45 and it's after 9 now."

Blushing, and grinning, Bianca and Maggie traded a glance that spoke volumes.

"Oh, man!" Kendall screamed. "Not the Mercedes!! I'll never get in that car ever again!!" She turned to a very confused Greenlee. "They defiled the backseat!!"

"Oh?" Pause. "Oh! Oh, no!"

"Relax," Maggie replied as she pushed Bianca gently out of the den. "We took the coupe. The sedan is still safe."

"I tried to talk her out of marrying him!" Greenlee shouted after them. "I swear!"

---

After unpacking and taking a quick shower, Bianca knocked on Kendall's bedroom door. "Kendall?" she called through the closed door. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, Binks, come on in."

Opening the door and sticking her still damp head inside, Bianca smiled sheepishly. "Doesn't this remind you of something?"

Kendall grinned. "Yeah, you always coming to talk to me about my piss poor track record when it comes to love."

"Come on, Kendall. You know that's not true."

"Yeah," Kendall agreed, patting her bed for Bianca to sit. "Sometimes we even talked about _your_ piss poor track record when it comes to love."

Bianca smacked Kendall on the arm, feigning indignation. "Watch it or I'll tell Maggie what you just said."

"Please don't. All I need is the Magster to come after me. She's like a pitbull, you know it?"

That made Bianca grin, Kendall's words summoning a memory of the time Maggie told off both Babe and David on the same day in her defense. "Yeah, I do," she replied softly. Gently taking Kendall's hands in hers, Bianca smiled. "Tell me what's going on. How did this happen?"

"Okay, Binks, here's how it works. You stand in front of a priest or a minister or a Justice of the Peace, he says 'Do you?', yes, 'Do you?', yes. Boom, married."

"Kendall," Bianca admonished.

Kendall sighed, a lingering breath that seemed to wilt the strong-willed woman. "We got married in the first place as a business arrangement."

"I know that part." Kendall gave Bianca a surprised look. "We're in Paris, Kendall, not a vacuum."

"Then you know it was strictly for business. I got him his casino licenses back, he made sure, if he managed to get Cambias away from Ethan and you, that I would have half of it back in the divorce."

"I know Zach has been watching out for me over here. He went after Ethan's share of Cambias to make sure Miranda would always be taken care of. I may not agree with his methods, but Zach has been nothing but good to his niece."

"So I got the casino gaming licenses back and things were fine. The whole Ethan thing blew over, so we decided it was time to divorce. He gave me a very generous settlement."

Bianca smiled knowingly. "But?"

"Oh, God, Binks, I fell in love with him." Kendall eyed her hands clasped so lovingly in her sister's gentle grasp. "He said he loved me, too. He said he'd love me forever so I married him again." She suddenly leapt off the bed and began to pace, moving to the window to stare sightlessly at the city beyond. "I thought I'd found the one, Binks. I really did. We laugh together, he knows what I'm thinking and he has the same twisted, warped sense of humor I do. Even more so."

"Now that's a scary thought."

Kendall grinned at Bianca, her nose wrinkling in humor. "I know, isn't it?"

"So what happened?"

Sighing, Kendall pulled back a sheer drape and gazed out at the Eiffel Tower across the River Seine. "Julia Santos-Keefer is what happened…"

Bianca turned to face Kendall, pulling a leg up underneath her on the bed. "What happened, Kendall? Talk to me."

"I caught them. Together."

Bianca bolted off the bed. "You _what_?!" she exclaimed. She was going to knock Zach Slater's head off!

"They were kissing… she was all over him, too…" The curly-headed beauty shuddered. "I couldn't believe it. So I called you and asked if I could come for a visit and here I am."

There was something missing in Kendall's story. Bianca realized as Kendall's voice died away that she wasn't getting the whole story. Dropping onto the end of the bed, Bianca shook her head knowingly.

"You ran, didn't you?" she whispered. "You have no idea what the whole story is and you took off without finding out."

"He was kissing Julia!" Kendall exclaimed. "I don't think there's a whole lot of explanation left to something like that!" The fight went out of her just as quickly as it had risen up. "Besides, you didn't see him come flying over here after me, did you?"

"Does he even know why you left?" Bianca asked, knowing full well her sister had a seriously bad habit of bolting first and explaining why later.

"Binks, I've been here over two months. Not a phone call, no flowers, not even a 'hey, does anyone know if my wife is dead or currently maxing out my credit cards?'"

Yep, Kendall fled under the veil of either a lie or an enormous half-truth. "What did you tell Zach?" Bianca wanted to know. "Did the two of you discuss what you saw? Or did you tell him you were taking a vacation, threw Greenlee in a suitcase and jetted off to Paris?" Stubborn silence was her only answer. "Oh, Kendall…"

Kendall fell onto the chair by the window, her shoulders slumping. "He cheated on me, Binks," she whispered painfully. "And with Julia, of all people."

Bianca hurried over to her sister, taking the chair across from her and reaching for the slender woman's hands. "You don't know that, Kendall," she replied. "You didn't let him tell you about what you saw."

"No," Kendall retorted forcefully. "I didn't give him a chance to lie to me."

"Kendall, you didn't give him a chance _at all_. It's possible he's leaving you alone over here because he thinks things are fine and that you're here with Greenlee to get away from everything that's happened to the two of you in Pine Valley. Maybe he thinks giving you this distance is helping you heal."

Kendall snorted. "Yeah, because Zach is _so_ compassionate…"

"You know, K, I never had a problem with Julia Santos, but I know the two of you never got along. Is it possible she was trying to get to you through Zach? I can't imagine she'd be trying to steal your husband away so soon after losing Noah."

Kendall actually laughed. "Never got along? That's a good one, Binks."

"I don't get it, Anita's one of my closest friends but you and Mom can't seem to be even remotely friendly to Julia or Maria. What is your problem with the Santos women?"

Kendall just shrugged in response. "It's about men, Binks, you wouldn't understand."

"Excuse me?!"

"No, no! That's not what I meant!" With a little chuckle, Kendall looked at her younger sibling. "We always seem to get into it over men. You and Anita never had that problem. Plus, you like everyone."

"Not hardly," Bianca replied with a roll of her eyes. "Kendall, you need to talk to Zach. You need to let him explain what happened."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, Kendall, you do. Because whatever happened really hurt you, I can tell." Kendall snorted, but Bianca just gave her a silencing look. "If it didn't hurt, you would have filed for divorce, moved out of the house, burned his clothes and torched his casino. Instead, you ran a half a world away to lick your wounds. If you love him, Kendall, talk to him."

Kendall sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Do more than think about it, Kendall. Please. I know you love him and I know that when you love you give all of your heart. You deserve to be happy and if Zach loves you the way you love him, I think you can be."

"You know, Mother would absolutely implode if she heard you talking like that about Zach Slater."

Bianca grinned. "Like our mother has any room to talk about our love lives."

"You'd think she'd be a relationship expert, what with 10 marriages and all."

"But she _is_ an expert, Kendall. On how _not_ to have a marriage."

Kendall laughed. "Oh, man... I won't tell her you said that."

Bianca's laughter joined her sister's. "Thank you." Getting to her feet slowly, Bianca pressed a tender kiss to Kendall's forehead. "I love you, Kendall. You can always talk to me."

Kendall's eyes fluttered shut as she reveled in the gentle touch of her sister's kiss, the warmth of Bianca's love. "I know, Binks. I know."

Bianca bid Kendall good night and slipped out of the room. Back in the master suite, Maggie lay in bed, dressed in her favorite tank top and flannel sleep pants, awaiting Bianca's return. When the door creaked open, Maggie quickly adopted a seductive pose, intent on resuming any and all activities that they had participated in at the park.

Bianca ignored the temptress on the bed and reached for the phone.

"Um, Binks?" Maggie asked, moving closer. "What are you doing?"

"Making a phone call," was the deadpan reply as Bianca dialed the long international telephone number.

"Hey, I'll take Obvious Answers for 500, Alex."

Bianca put the phone to her ear. "And I'll take Don't Ask Stupid Questions If You Don't Want Obvious Answers for a thousand, Alex."

"Ouch…" Maggie slid up behind Bianca and began to press delicate kisses against the back of Bianca's neck and up to the ticklish spot behind her ear.

Bianca paused for a moment. "Get your ass over here," she said into the phone then hung up. She sat for a moment while Maggie gently kissed her shoulder and worked her way up to her neck. "Maggie?"

"Yeah?"

"Get in bed."

Laughing, Maggie quickly slipped between the sheets. "I love it when you get all bossy and acting like you're all in charge. Because I think you get a little hot when you act that way."

Bianca turned to Maggie and growled daintily. Maggie immediately shut up.

----

"Okay, remind me again why we like grocery shopping in Paris?" Maggie said over her shoulder, pushing open the kitchen door with her elbow. She lifted two heavy bags onto the counter.

"Oh, you're just mad because they don't have Froot Loops over here," Bianca replied as she dropped two more bags next to Maggie's.

"It's Cap'n Crunch, Bianca. They don't have Cap'n Crunch." Bianca rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Binks. All that crunchy peanut buttery goodness? Miranda is missing out on one of the rites of toddlerhood."

"What's that? Preservative-laden, sugar-filled breakfast cereal?"

"Yes!" Maggie pulled her jacket off and hung it on one of the chairs, moving to the counter to begin unloading the groceries they had purchased. "She's eating too healthy, Binks. She'll grow up warped."

Bianca laughed out loud. "Warped? Because she's not eating junk food?"

"Never, Bianca. She's never had junk food! Every kid needs a Twinkie now and then, it keeps them from a chemical imbalance."

"Well, that makes sense, considering the amount of chemicals in a single Twinkie."

"Oh, ha ha, very funny." Moving around the large kitchen, Maggie stored cans in the cupboard. "You're such a mom, you know that?"

Grinning as she followed behind Maggie, Bianca moved the newly stored groceries to their proper place. "And you are such a dad."

Bianca sighed. Putting away groceries with Maggie was such a simple little thing and a tremendous joy. Any menial task with Maggie was a joy. They moved around the kitchen easily, bantering back and forth, teasing, laughing... Just like a normal family.

Maggie spun on Bianca. "What? I'm a _dad_? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maggie, when Miranda gets older and starts asking for everything under the sun, the first words out of your mouth are going to be 'go ask your mother'." Bianca shook her head. "The four favorite words of dads everywhere."

"I will not!"

"You'll intimidate every boy she brings home."

"Okay, I'll give you that one, but that's something even her Aunt Kendall will do. And Jack, and Reggie, and Erica…"

"She's a Maggie's girl. Exactly like a Daddy's girl. You protect her like a dad, fawn over her like a dad... you teach her hockey, Maggie! Hockey!"

Maggie leaned a hand on the counter and faced Bianca, her other hand propped on her hip. "May I remind you that women play hockey, too."

"How many play for the Rangers?"

Maggie didn't answer for a long moment. "Hey, look at us! We're in the kitchen!"

Bianca gave Maggie a lopsided grin. "Thanks for the newsflash, Stone."

"You know what we haven't done in a long time? In the kitchen?"

"Um, fix dinner?"

Maggie gave Bianca a suggestive little smile. "Well, we certainly haven't_cooked_ in here in a while."

Bianca rolled her eyes as Maggie advanced on her, pinning her back against the counter. "You know, for someone who was so 'confused' about their sexuality at one point, you sure are sex-crazed at times." She reached up a hand and brushed a lock of honey-blonde hair behind Maggie's ear. "Why is that?"

"Do I have to remind you that _I_ kissed _you_ first?"

"Yeah, and then you ran."

Maggie reached up and brushed her lips against Bianca's. "What's your point, B?"

"No point. I'm just wondering if you'd be this insatiable with, say, Kendall. Or Greenlee."

Maggie pulled back to look in Bianca's eyes. "First of all… eww." They both laughed then Maggie reached up to touch Bianca's lips with her fingertips. "Second of all, if you really want to know the truth, you're the only person I've ever really been attracted to. I mean, really, constantly, all the time sexually attracted to."

Bianca gave Maggie a look. "Really," she replied skeptically.

Maggie nodded as she leaned closer. "Really," she whispered, the word a warm breath on Bianca's lips. "Think about it, Binks. Someday, really, sit down and think about it."

"Okay."

"But not right now," Maggie murmured, reaching up and kissing Bianca again, turning so she was leaning against the counter and Bianca was pressing her backward.

Maggie pulled Bianca closer as the kiss intensified, their lips melding together. Bianca sighed into Maggie's mouth, reveling in the sweet taste of the pineapple Maggie had sampled in the grocery store. It blended with the heady flavor of the chocolate bar they had shared on the walk home, filling her senses and overloading her mind.

Maggie nipped at Bianca's lips, teasing her into chasing after each kiss and taste. When she finally captured Bianca's mouth in a deep, languid caress, all sense of reality was lost. Arms encircled to hold tightly, fingers brushed against fabric seeking bare skin, flyaway locks of hair tickled cheeks, fireworks exploded behind closed eyelids. Maggie gently raised a hand to brush against Bianca's cheek, the soft, flawless skin warm beneath her touch. She loved to let her fingers slide into the silky soft hair over Bianca's ear, hold her close as they kissed.

The only sounds in the room was the innocuous hum of the Sub-Zero refrigerator and the sensuous purr of their kisses.

Behind Bianca, the door to the kitchen opened cautiously. Slowly, the red furry head of Elmo peeked around the edge of the door, followed eventually by the rest of the Muppet's body, a slender hand holding him by the neck. Suddenly, Elmo stopped dead, shuddered violently from head to toe and was quickly yanked back out the swinging door.

"What?" Kendall asked.

"Oh, no! Elmo see things no Elmo should ever see!" came the spot-on Elmo reply.

"Aw, crap, they're making out again…"

"Elmo scarred for life!"

Miranda reached out from her place in Kendall's arms and yanked her Elmo out of Greenlee's hands. "Mine," she said stridently.

Greenlee held her hands up in surrender. "Oookay," she replied then glanced up at Kendall. "Well, we know who she gets her possessive streak from."

"You talking about me?" She watched the shorter woman walk away and looked at Miranda. "I think she was talking about me."

"Yep," Miranda replied. Then she patted Kendall's cheek. "No say cwap, Aunt Kenah…"

Kendall did a double take at the little girl then shook her head. "Hey!" she exclaimed, starting after Greenlee. "Are you talking about me?!" Suddenly, she turned back to the closed kitchen door. "Binks, Greenlee and I are taking Miranda out to eat." Kendall stood quietly waiting and got no response. "There's no way I'm looking in there so bang once against the counter if you're okay with it. And if you don't care... well, bang anyway..." Suddenly realizing what she said, Kendall glanced at Miranda. "I mean... hit your foot against the counter... or something like that..." She shook her head. "You know what? We're going anyway!"

Spinning on her spiked Manolo Blahnik heel, Kendall ran after Greenlee.

---

A few days later, as Maggie followed the flow of students out of the lecture hall, she heard Cody calling her name. She turned around to see the tall Oklahoman trotting after her.

"Hey, Code," she said with a grin. "What's up?"

"Jeez, Mags," he replied, sucking in a gulp of air. "What's the hurry?"

"Um, Bianca?"

Cody just shook his head. "I guess if I had a girlfriend like that, I'd be in a hurry to get home, too." Maggie just grinned at him. "Um, speaking of your girlfriend..." He held out a copy of the latest issue of Paris-Match magazine. "You might want to see this."

Maggie glanced at the magazine's cover. "What? You think I care about the latest court 'shenanigans' of Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey?"

"Not the cover, Maggie." Cody opened the magazine. "Look at the middle of the page there. The picture on the right."

Maggie's gaze scanned the page, glancing over various paparazzi shots of movie stars visiting Paris. Suddenly, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.

"Oh, my God!" she yelped.

"Sorry about that, but that's what you get-." Cody started to say.

"Oh, cool!" Maggie exclaimed, yanking the tabloid from his hands. She grinned up at him. "I'm a star, Cody!"

The picture Cody was referring to, taking up nearly a third of the page, was of Maggie and Bianca, apparently taken at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Bianca was pressed up against the door of the Mercedes coupe, Maggie was pressed up against Bianca, and their lips were pressed up against each other. It was quite obvious the two women were completely unconcerned with their surroundings and totally focused on each other. Maggie was grinning like an idiot as she read the caption beneath the photo.

_-**Mlle. Bianca Montgomery, Chairperson of the Board of Cambias Enterprises, Français, is seen getting a rather intense welcome home from her girlfriend (and, yes, we do mean girlfriend), Mlle. Maggie Stone, a Medical student at Pierre et Marie Curie University, early last week. Captured getting physical at Airport Charles de Gaulle, the American couple, who have called Paris home since February of last year, seem to be so happy to see each other that they are unaware of other travelers.**- _

Cody's eyebrows rose comically. "You don't mind?"

Maggie gave Cody a look. "Have you seen my girlfriend?"

"Maggie, most people, regardless of their sexuality, would have a problem with their private life splashed all over the pages of a French tabloid."

Maggie snorted. "If this is the best the French can do, it's no wonder we keep having to save their asses… You've never seen the Intruder, have you?" Cody shook his head. "The Intruder makes this rag look like the Wall Street Journal." Then she grinned again, her eyes back on the photo of her and Bianca. "Besides, I love Bianca. I can't let stuff like this get to me anymore or I'll ruin what we have. And I don't want to do that." Then she winked at the tall blond. "Besides, I look _gooood._"

Cody laughed. "Yeah, right."

Suddenly, the opening strains of the Hollies _Long, Cool Woman in a Black Dress_ filled the air and Maggie quickly dug into her book bag for her cell phone. Hitting the receive button on the black Slvr phone Maggie put it to her ear.

"Hey, Binks, what's up?"

"Maggie, I need you to come home right now," Bianca replied, sounding a little freaked out. "Please, don't ask questions, don't stop for pastries or directions, just come home."

Maggie's heart leapt into her throat. "What is it, Bianca? What's wrong?"

"I need you here, Maggie. Please come home now."

"Bianca! Tell me what's wrong!"

Suddenly, Bianca was hysterical. "Just get your ass home, Stone!" she shrieked. "Don't stop anywhere, don't do anything and whatever you don't do, DON'T READ ANY STUPID FRENCH TABLOIDS!!!"

Maggie was stunned silent for a moment, then burst out laughing, deep, hearty belly laughs. "Too late," she managed between guffaws.

"You saw it?! Oh, my GOD! YOU SAW IT!!"

"Binks? You need to relax, Sweetie. Take a deep breath, okay?"

"Relax?! RELAX?! Are you _kidding_ me?!" Bianca paused for a split second. "Did you see that picture?! It's you! And me! It's you and me!! Maggie! We're _kissing_!"

"Yeah, we are." Maggie glanced at the picture again, tilting her head a bit in scrutiny. "We certainly are. Hey, you think anyone can tell you had your hand on my ass?"

"MAGGIE!"

Maggie jolted at the completely freaked out tone of Bianca's voice. "Okay, okay, honey, I'm on my way home right now. You going to be okay till I get there?"

Bianca sighed and Maggie could envision her girlfriend with her hand to her forehead in frustration. "As long as I don't have to face Kenlee in all their glory about it."

"I'll be home soon, Boom-Boom."

As she lowered the phone to end the call, even Cody heard Bianca's strident shout. "DON'T CALL ME BOOM-BOOM!"

"I take it she saw the picture," Cody said with a wry smile.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Maggie replied as she dropped her phone back into her book bag. "I better go before she does something rash. Like call her mother and explain." Cody grinned and Maggie held up the magazine. "Can I keep this?"

"It's all yours. Something for your scrapbook."

Maggie snorted. "Yeah, then we'll have visual aids for Miranda when she starts therapy."

"The kid seems pretty well-adjusted to me, Maggie."

"You haven't met her grandmother, Cody. Next week at study, I'll introduce you to Kendall. You'll understand."

Cody just shook his head and grinned. "I think I already do." With a salute, he started backing away. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Later, Code!" Maggie took in the photo one more time before slipping the magazine in her book bag as she hurried to the Jussieu Metro station.

Below ground as she waited for the 7 train to the Palais-Royal station, she hurried over to the magazine vendor and purchased five more copies, shoving them into her book bag behind a couple of thick text books and her notepad. Once she caught the 1 train to Charles de Gaulle Etoile, she sat and flipped through the rest of the magazine, noting she and Bianca were sharing pages with the likes of Johnny Depp, Kate Moss, the aforementioned Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, and the recent break-up of Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow.

"Cool," she murmured as she read.

Normally, especially in nice weather, Maggie would have walked home from the de Gaulle Metro station to the apartment. But knowing Bianca was at home freaking out, she went ahead and jumped onto the 2 train down to Place Victor Hugo. From there, she practically ran the 2 blocks to the apartment building and past the doorman, Alain, into the elevator.

"Bon jour, Alain!" she called as she jumped into the elevator just as the doors were closing.

"Bon jour, Maggie!"

Inside the apartment, Maggie found Bianca in the den with her back to the door, one hand propped on her hip, the other obviously pressed to her forehead, a sure sign the girl was in distress. Miranda was sound asleep on a blanket near the TV, Leo curled up at her side, Elmo wrapped tightly in her arms. The blonde dropped her book bag and moved up behind Bianca, wrapping her arms around her waist.

"Hey, B, you okay?"

Bianca wiggled out of Maggie's embrace. "No, I am not okay. Did you see that? Did you see that picture?"

"Yes, I did." Maggie grinned. "Cody saw it first."

"Cody? Cody?!"

"Yeah, Cody. Jeez, Binks, why are you flipping out over this?"

"I don't know. I don't know why I'm so freaked out." Suddenly, Bianca's arms became demonstrative, flying about like flags in a stiff breeze. "Why am _I_ freaked out? You should be the one freaked out. Aren't _you_ freaked out? Why _aren't_ you freaked out?"

"Bianca," Maggie murmured soothingly. "It's just a picture."

"Just a picture? Yeah, Maggie, it's just a picture of the two of us necking like teenagers…"

"So?"

"So?!"

"So? So what?"

"So what?! Aren't you the same person who said 'Screw the couch, you can sleep in my bed'," Bianca chirped in her best Maggie-voice, "then got all weirded out like you thought I was undressing you with my eyes?"

"First of all," Maggie replied cheekily, "you _were_ undressing me with your eyes, but you were so busy eye-stripping me that you didn't notice I was undressing you, too. And second-," Bianca rolled her eyes but Maggie grabbed her by the arms "-_second_, it doesn't bother me." Bianca snorted. "Really, Binks, it doesn't. Is that was has you so… so…"

"Freaked?"

"I was going to say hysterical, but freaked works." Suddenly, Bianca wouldn't meet Maggie's eyes. "That's it, isn't it? You thought it would freak _me_ out and 'Freaked-out Maggie' would go ape-shit and bolt."

Bianca sighed. "Well, it has been a pretty accurate accounting of you in the past," she mumbled as she fell onto the sofa.

Maggie quickly joined her. "Key words, Bianca, 'in the past'. I'm over that, trust me."

"Are you?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm in love with you, Binks. I'm going to be right here from now on and if that means kissing you in public for all the world to see, then I'm going to do it. Why are you so afraid to believe that?"

"I guess I'm afraid because if it _is_ true, then it could all disappear in a heartbeat."

Maggie shook her head. "Huh-uh, nope. Not going to happen."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not going anywhere. Are you going anywhere?" Bianca shook her head. "See? That's how I can be so sure."

"I love you, Maggie. With all my heart and soul."

"I know, Boom-Boom, I love you the same way."

Suddenly, Bianca smiled coyly. "Do you?"

"Oh, yeah," Maggie replied with her trademark lopsided grin. She leaned in and captured Bianca's lips in a warm, tender kiss. "Here, I'll prove it to you."

Maggie pressed Bianca back onto the couch, feeling slender hands slip under her jersey to slide up her back. She grinned against Bianca's mouth as she attempted to deepen the kiss, one hand caressing Bianca's cheek as she held her with an arm around her shoulders.

"What about your studying?" Bianca asked as they came up for air momentarily. "You usually want to study after school."

Maggie brushed her lips over Bianca's. "I'm not doing any studying tonight. I'm on to quality time with my girl."

"Quality time… I like that."

"Mmhmm…" Maggie dipped her head to kiss Bianca once more, her heart set on a serious make-out session while Kendall and Greenlee were shopping and Miranda was napping on the floor with Leo at her side.

Alas, it was not to be. Before their lips met again, there was a knock at the door. Dropping her head onto Bianca's shoulder, Maggie sighed. "I should have known we'd get interrupted," she muttered. Slowly, she got up and helped Bianca into a sitting position. "This is so typical, never a moments peace. Every time we start to get close, someone interrupts us. You'd think the powers that be were conspiring to keep us apart."

Bianca grinned. "Jeez, Maggie, quit being so melodramatic and answer the door."

"Yeah, yeah…" Stomping out of the den, Maggie marched down the marble entry hall to the front door. She checked the peephole, pulled back, blinked twice then checked the peephole again. "You gotta be kidding me…" Throwing the deadbolt, Maggie swung the door open. "Hello, Zach."

Zach Slater looked at the small woman standing before him. "The Rangers?" was all he said, eying her hockey jersey.

"Yeah, the Rangers," Maggie replied.

He quirked an eyebrow. "You should consider watching the Detroit Red Wings. They're better."

"Ha!" Maggie scoffed. "Bet me!"

"How much?"

"How much you got?"

"A couple of casinos and a missing wife."

"I'll see your casinos and missing wife and raise you my girlfriend."

"I don't want your girlfriend."

Maggie snorted. "Trust me, I don't want your missing wife." She stepped back to allow the tall man entry. "She's all yours, you know. You're more than welcome to take her. _Please_, take her."

Zach grinned knowingly. "Really?"

"Yeah, and take her midget friend with you." Then she grinned up at the handsome man. "Hey, you wanna see a really neat picture of me and Bianca?"

Zach just chuckled as he entered the den. There he found an obviously furious Bianca standing by the sofa, hands on her hips, glaring laser beams in his direction. He moved over to the blanket where Miranda was slowly waking from her nap, lifting her gently into his arms.

"Hello, my sweet little girl," he murmured huskily. Miranda curled herself into his arms and burrowed her head underneath his chin.

"What the hell took you so long?" Bianca growled at him. Despite her anger, she was, in fact, relieved to see the big, good looking man now standing in her den. Truth be told, she had missed Zach, his slight Irish accent and all his wild idiosyncrasies. And the way he loved Kendall.

"You should know better, Bianca," he replied in that gravelly Irish brogue. "I don't just come when I'm summoned."

"Whatever. Sit down." Zach obeyed the command. So did Maggie. "You want to tell me what's going on?"

"There's not much to tell. Kendall and Greenlee left Pine Valley for a vacation and, I assume, to get away from Ryan Lavery and his moronic schemes."

Bianca gave Zach a look. "And you believed that? _Your_ wife ran off to Paris to get away from Ryan Lavery?" Zach shrugged. "Why don't you tell me about Julia Santos."

Now Zach looked honestly confused. "What about Julia?"

"How about you kissing Julia while you're married to my sister?!"

Giving Bianca a look, Maggie quietly got up, took Miranda from Zach's arms and quickly slipped out of the den.

"I didn't kiss Julia Santos, Bianca. That I can assure you."

"Then Kendall just made that up?" Bianca scoffed. "My sister does not lie to me. She hasn't been able to for a long time. If she saw you kissing Julia, then you were kissing Julia."

"No," Zach replied forcibly. "She did not see me kissing Julia. She saw_Julia_ kissing _me_."

"And that's different, how?"

Zach stood and crossed the room, looking out the window at the view of the Eiffel Tower. "Because when Julia kissed me, I pushed her away. I didn't return the kiss, her affections or anything."

"And you didn't think anything about it when Kendall raced over here and has been here for several weeks? Not with you at Christmas? Or New Years? Not calling or e-mailing or even checking to see if either of you were still alive?" Bianca shook her head. "Quite a marriage you got there, Zach."

With a quirk of his eyebrow, Zach looked at Bianca. "When did you get to be so outspoken? Is this because you and Maggie are together now?"

"This has nothing to do with me and Maggie and everything to do with the fact that Kendall loves you. Apparently more than you love her."

"Don't presume to know anything about how I feel for Kendall."

"Then tell me, Zach. How do you feel about my sister?"

"Yes, Zach," Kendall's voice said suddenly from the doorway. Zach and Bianca both spun around at the sound. "Tell us how you really feel about me."

"You know," Zach said after a moment. "Your sister just kicked my ass. You think you could give me a minute?"

Bianca smiled slightly. "If you think _I_ kicked your ass…"

Zach glanced at Bianca. "Trust me, I know."

"Hello!" Kendall shouted, waving her arms for effect. "I'm right here!"

"Not in front of baby sister," Zach stated, moving towards Kendall, whose eyes widened at his approach. "Come on, wife. We're going to talk."

Taking her arm, he led her out of the den, Kendall screeching the whole way.

"I'll call the gendarmes!" she shouted. "Interpol! I'll call the French army!"

"Good," Zach replied. "I'm sure they have a white flag they can loan you."

_Slam._ The front door closed. Bianca smiled.

---

Greenlee appeared at the den door a little while later, munching on an apple while Bianca, Maggie and Miranda watched _Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch_, the little girl giggling at the antics of the little blue alien.

"Hey, guys," she said around a mouthful of apple. "What was all that yelling about?" She looked around. "Where's Kendall? Did she go shopping without me? Man, she went back to get those shoes, didn't she? She knew I wanted them more than she did..."

Bianca just stared at Greenlee while Maggie shook her head in disbelief.

"What?" she asked. "What?"

After determining that Zach and Kendall wouldn't be home for quite a while, and dinnertime was nearing, they decided to go out for a bite instead of staying in. What wasn't said was that none of them wanted to be around when the Slater's returned, be it because they were still screaming at the top of their lungs or were surgically attached at the lips.

When they returned to the apartment later that evening, Kendall was in the den, nursing a glass of deep red wine and watching a scarily dubbed episode of _Days of Our Lives_ on TV. Bo Brady sounded like a French Alvin the Chipmunk as he railed against the injustices done to the Brady clan.

"I swear, Greenlee, you touch me again," Maggie snapped as they filed in.

"What?" Greenlee asked innocently. "What did I do?"

"You're touching me."

"I'm not touching you." She put a finger on Maggie's shoulder. "_Now_ I'm touching you."

"Take it off or I break it off," Maggie growled through gritted teeth.

Finger off. "I'm not touching you."

Finger on. "Stop it."

Finger off. "Make me."

Finger on. "Stop it."

Greenlee suddenly became braver, or dumber. "Make me," she repeated.

Finger on. "Stop it."

"Make me." The hand reached up toward Maggie's shoulder.

Spinning around, Maggie snagged Greenlee's fingers in her fist, squeezing tightly. "Stop it," she said once more.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," Greenlee groaned, slowly sinking to her knees. "Okay, okay, okay, okay…"

Bianca turned to them. "Would you two children take it upstairs, please?"

"What did _I_ do?!" Maggie exclaimed, still grinding Greenlee's bones together.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…"

"Maggie." Giving Maggie a look, Bianca glanced at her grip on Greenlee's poor digits. "Let her go."

"Oh, all right…," Maggie pouted, dropping Greenlee's hand.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Maggie muttered morosely.

Moving over to give Maggie a kiss on the lips, which elicited gagging noises from Greenlee, Bianca gave Maggie's hand a squeeze. "Can you get Miranda ready for her bath?"

That made Maggie grin. "Okay!" She took the little girl from Bianca's arms. "Come on, Munchie. Let's go get clean."

"Don' wanna…" Miranda replied a little crossly.

"I'll be right up to help," Bianca called after Maggie.

"Can I help?" Greenlee asked.

"No!" Maggie and Miranda snapped simultaneously.

"Tough," Greenlee replied, following after them.

Bianca entered the den and perched on the sofa next to Kendall. "So?"

"So…," Kendall replied. "We talked."

"And?"

Before Kendall could respond, a loud shout came from upstairs.

"Miranda!"

"No baf!" the little girl shrieked.

"Miranda! Get back here!"

"Oh, no," Bianca muttered, jumping up from the sofa. "Miranda's in her anti-bath mood."

"Well," Kendall replied with a smirk, "apparently she hangs out with Maggie too much."

"Kendall."

Bianca and Kendall hurried out of the den and up the stairs into the middle of chaos.

"Noooooo! No baf!!!" Miranda shot out the bathroom door, clad only in her Disneyland Paris t-shirt and a diaper.

"I got her!" Maggie exclaimed as she chased after the little girl, only to trip over Miranda's discarded Elmo doll in the process and tumble with a hard _thump_ onto the floor.

"No baf!" Miranda shrieked. She stopped and pointed at Maggie. "'Aggie horny!"

"Miranda!" Bianca exclaimed.

"Momma!" the little girl shrieked.

"Umph," Maggie grunted, watching the child disappear around the corner. "Miranda!"

"No! No! No baf! No baf!!!"

"Sweetie, you're gonna have to get clean sometime," Bianca said as she stepped over Maggie, continuing to chase after her daughter.

"No, Momma! No baf!"

"Let me try," Kendall said, stepping in. She knew how to handle a toddler. "Miranda, if you take your bath, I promise tomorrow, Auntie Greenlee and I will take you to McDonald's for a Happy Meal."

Miranda stuck a finger in her mouth and looked up at her Aunt Kendall. "Pwomise?"

"Yes, Mimo, I promise."

Miranda thought about it for a second. "No!" she shouted then took off again.

"Kendall," Greenlee sighed in exasperation, "you can't tempt a little girl with McDonald's." Greenlee, of course, knew better.

"Okay genius, let's see you try."

"Fine. Miranda!" she shouted, stopping the little girl in her tracks. "If you take your bath, tomorrow, we'll go on a shopping spree!"

"Oh, sure, bribe her with Gucci and Vuitton! That'll work!"

"No!" Miranda shrieked. "No spee! No baf!" And again, the little girl scampered down the hallway.

"Brilliant…," Kendall muttered.

"Hey, it worked for me."

"Yeah, but you're easy. Did you grow up eating from a silver spoon, too?"

Greenlee smirked. "Diamond crusted, baby."

"Lucy, Ethel, now is not the time to compare your childhood up-bringing," Maggie said as she climbed to her feet and stood in the hallway, rubbing her knee. "We have a toddler to catch."

"Oh, yes," Greenlee snapped. "Because you've been doing a bang-up job so far."

"Hey! At least she can say my name!" Maggie paused and grimaced. "Well, sort of…"

"Yeah, 'Aggie horny... that's you."

"I am not responsible for teaching her how to say horny!"

"Some things don't need to be taught!"

"Fred, Ethel, stop the bickering," Kendall admonished. "I think we've cornered her." Bianca's sister was peering into Miranda's room steathily. "Get over here."

"Did you call me Fred?" Maggie asked as she followed after Kendall. "Are you inferring that I would be married to _her_?"

"Hey!" Greenlee barked, "I'm a catch!"

"Yeah, so's botulism…"

"Hey!" Bianca shouted over all of them. They stopped their bickering long enough to look at the brunette. "Where's Miranda?" she asked patiently.

"In her room," Kendall replied, walking toward her doorway. "Okay, Binks, Maggie, you two go in and nab her. If she escapes, Greenlee and I will be standing right outside to catch her."

Bianca covered her eyes with her hand as she and Maggie headed into the room. "This is a bad episode of Mission:Impossible..."

"Miranda," Maggie said softly, moving in on the little girl.

"No baf!" Miranda shouted, bolting past her parents.

"Munchie!" Bianca exclaimed, tripping over the cat as Leo ran interference for his master. She lost her balance and started to fall, grabbing Maggie by the back pocket of her Levi's on the way down.

There was the sound of fabric ripping as Maggie's knees buckled and she collapsed backward on top of Bianca.

"Kendall, Greenlee!" Maggie managed to call out as she landed in a pile of stuffed animals. "Catch her!"

"No baaafff!!!" the little girl screeched as she ran.

"We got her! We got-!"

THUMP! BANG! CRASH!

"OWWWW!! You _idiot_!"

"I think you broke my nose!"

"It'll look better once the swelling goes down. Come on! I will not lose to a 2-year old!"

Greenlee sat on the floor next to an overturned hall table, her fingers testing her sore nose. "Face it, Kendall, you already _have_ lost."

"Hi, there, sweetie," a masculine voice chuckled. "What's going on here?"

"Crap," Kendall muttered under her breath.

"Unca Zap! Unca Zap!" Miranda shrieked. "No baf!"

Zach appeared at the top of the stairs carrying Miranda, the little girl cuddled against his shoulder, her fingers in her mouth. "I don't think she wants to bathe, ladies," Zach said with a smile, his eyes locking on Kendall after a moment. His wife met his stare then looked away. "Is that what you're saying, sweetie?"

"No baf," Miranda agreed.

"Four grown women," Zach said with a smug grin and shake of his head, "chasing after one small little girl... And she won."

Bianca blew a strand of hair off her forehead. "A little help would be appreciated here… Unca Zap."

With a little smile at Bianca, Zach held Miranda so she could look into his eyes. "Okay, little one," he said softly, "you go with your mother for a bath and I will be waiting for you in your room to read you a bedtime story when you're done, okay?"

"Stowy?" Miranda asked.

"Yep, any story you want."

Miranda appeared to think about it for a moment. "Muver doose?"

Zach smiled. "Mother Goose it is, your Highness."

"Otay, Unca Zap." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Unca Zap," Maggie said with a cheeky grin as she took the toddler from his hands.

"You're welcome, Mary Margaret." He eyed her as she walked away. "Nice underwear, by the way."

Quickly reaching down, Maggie found her back pocket torn neatly from her jeans, her hand coming into contact with her silk undies. "Man, I_thought_ I felt a draft!"

TBC-


	11. Physician, Heal Thyself

Disclaimer - All employees are required to wash their hands before returning to work.

Flashbacks aplenty in this update!!

_**You're in my heart, you're in my soul  
You'll be my breath should I grow old  
You are my lover, you're my best friend  
You're in my soul**_  
Rod Stewart – _You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)_

Chapter 11 - Physician, Heal Thyself

Paris, France  
March, 2006

_Oh, God_, Bianca thought with a groan as she rolled over. _Monday morning… again…_

"Boom-Boom…" Maggie mumbled against her pillow, rolling over after Bianca and attaching herself to her girlfriend like a barnacle.

Rubbing her eyes with a hand, Bianca tried to stretch, but the covers were pulled tight over her feet. _Good grief, how much does Leo way these days?_ she thought to herself, assuming the cat was lying across the foot of the bed as he sometimes did. With a grunt, she opened her eyes.

"Augh!" she screamed, suddenly flailing around as she scooted up against the headboard.

"What?!" Maggie exclaimed as she took a backhand to the head. She exploded out of sleep and sat bolt upright. "Zach!!" she shouted, fumbling around and grabbing the covers. "Ach!" Frantically, she yanked at the sheets, pulling them up over her and Bianca's shoulders. "What the hell-!"

"Zach Slater!" Bianca shouted as she slapped at Maggie's hands still trying to cover the both of them with the sheets. "What the hell are you doing?!" Then she slapped again at Maggie's hands. "Stop it! We've got clothes on!"

Maggie was still kicking at the covers, finally stopping when she had Bianca in her arms, the sheet and comforter pulled up to their neck. "Holy shit!" she blurted out, pulling her arms tighter around Bianca's shoulders. "What the fu-!"

"Careful, now," Zach drawled from his seat on the edge of the bed. "You're going to make me spill my coffee."

"Are you _kidding_ me?!?"

"Zach!" Bianca shouted. "What the hell are you doing?!? In our bedroom!!!"

"Now, now," he said in that infuriatingly calm and slightly condescending tone he had. "No cussing, young mother."

"Bite me big time!" Bianca snapped. "What the hell are you doing in our room?" She wriggled in Maggie's arms. "And loosen the grip there, Tiger, I can't breathe." Zach just quirked an eyebrow at the term of endearment. "Oh, shut up."

"Which is it, Bianca?" he asked. "Talk or shut up?"

"What are you doing in our bedroom!" she all but shouted at him.

"Well, I just wanted to wish you both a good morning," he replied, toasting them with his coffee cup. "Good morning."

Bianca gave him a look. "Try again." With a smirk, Zach's eyebrow lifted once more. "You better come up with something quick, Zach," Bianca warned, "or I let my pitbull here loose on you."

Maggie, on cue, curled her lip and growled at Zach. The man actually had the audacity to laugh.

"Call off your watchdog, Madame Chairman," he said with a smile. "I'll talk."

Maggie relaxed and panted softly. Trying not to smile, Bianca reached up and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well, go on."

"I plan on taking your sister to the South of France," he informed her. "With or without her approval."

"You're going to kidnap her?"

"If I have to."

Maggie sat up quickly. "You need help? Because, you know… I'll help… if you do." She gave Zach a hopeful look. "You want to kidnap Greenlee, too?"

"No, Greenlee can stay here. I don't like having third wheels around. Plus, she can be rather annoying."

"Are you sure? It's no problem. I'll hit her over the head with something like a candlestick. Or a skillet! Then we can shove her into the trunk of your car."

"I think I can handle it," Zach replied. "But thanks for the offer."

"Are you sure? I don't mind helping! Really!"

Zach's eyebrows knitted at Maggie's exuberance and he glanced at Bianca. "Keep a tight rein on this one, young mother. And make sure she's had all her shots."

"I've had all my shots," Maggie huffily informed him.

"Well, good for you." Sliding off the bed and to his feet, Zach leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Bianca's forehead. "You may want to consider locking the door from now on," he said, looking back at them as he pulled open the bedroom door. "You don't know who might just walk in on you."

Before Maggie could leap from the bed or Bianca could hurl a pillow, he was gone, the door closing with a soft, yet solid click.

----

Kendall poured herself another cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. Unable to sleep any longer, she had gotten up and made her way to the kitchen, brewing a full pot of coffee and contemplating the last 24 hours. Wearily, she pushed a lock of curly hair off her forehead and sighed, her mind wandering back to her discussion with Zach the day he arrived in Paris. They had ended up in his hotel suite at the Georges Cinq, shouting at each other.

Well, Kendall was shouting. Zach was his usual inscrutable, aggravating, stoic self.

"_What are you doing here?" she snapped at him as he pushed her inside the room and shut the door behind them._

"_It's my hotel room," he replied. "This is where I'm staying while I'm in Paris."_

"_You know what I mean, Zach."_

_He slipped his hands into his pants pockets and shrugged. "Bianca called and told me to get my ass over here. I heeded her message."_

"_You 'heeded her message'? Who talks that way?"_

"_Don't try and change the subject, Kendall."_

_She crossed her arms and tilted her head back in an attempt to look superior even though her insides were quaking. "I didn't realize we were actually discussing anything."_

"_Why are you here?" he asked._

"_It's your hotel room," she replied in mock-innocence. "You brought me here." Zach didn't say anything, he just gazed at her with those hypnotic eyes and that smug 'I can stare longer than you can' look on his face. "I'm visiting my sister," she replied weakly. Pause. Nothing. The damn man was a statue. "Greenlee and I are taking a vacation from the insanity of Pine Valley." Movement! An imperceptible cocking of a single eyebrow…_

_Zach stood where he was, barely moving, though his eyes were intent on Kendall. "Why don't you tell me the real reason you ran away from me."_

_Kendall snorted. "Please. Like I would ever feel the need to run away from you."_

"_Kendall-."_

"_I saw you!" Kendall shouted, her anger and hurt exploding like a fireball, the pain searing her chest, burning her eyes. "Dammit, Zach Slater, I saw you!"_

"_Why don't you tell me what you think you saw."_

"_I don't __think__ I saw anything! I __know__ I saw you and Julia kissing!" She took a breath, her throat catching on a sob. She was mad- no, furious. Furious at Zach for hurting her and even more furious at herself for not being able to keep that pain from showing, from the tears stinging her eyes and the chin trembling with emotion. "Damn you, Zach Slater! You know I love you! You know how much!" Angrily, she picked up a pillow and threw it at him._

_He never moved, the pillow hitting him square in the chest. "Feel better?" he asked, looking up from the pillow to catch Kendall's eyes with his own._

"_No."_

"_Something else you'd rather try?"_

_Kendall shrugged. "Yeah, but I don't think I can pick up the TV." She spun around, stalking to the window. "I want a divorce."_

"_I won't give you one."_

"_You don't have a choice."_

_Zach gave her a little smirk. "Yeah, I think I do."_

_His self-assured tone set her teeth on edge. "You have no say in it, Zach," she said argumentatively._

"_You're wrong." _

"_No, I'm not!" Damn, Kendall was beginning to feel like an argumentative child standing before her parent "Why are you arguing with me?! I'm getting a divorce! I am divorcing you!"_

"_I won't let you."_

"_Why not!"_

"_Because," Zach replied patiently. His voice never changed timbre, never became emotional. "You just told me you loved me. Present tense. And I'm not letting you go that easily."_

"_Why?" Kendall asked, her shoulders slumping as the fight left her. "Why?"_

"_Because I love you, too," he told her, his words honest and sincere. "I'm going to love you every day for the rest of my life."_

Kendall looked into her coffee cup, as if she could find the answer to all her troubles in the dark brown liquid. How did she get to this point? Kendall Hart didn't fall in love easily, and never to this extent.

"Oh, God..." she moaned, resting her head in her hand. "I am soooo screwed..."

"Well, now, wife" Zach said from the doorway, startling Kendall so badly she nearly sent her coffee cup flying. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"What do you want, Zach?"

There it was, that inscrutable stare that zeroed in on Kendall like laser beams. "You," he stated, his tone soft yet steely.

"It's not that easy."

Finally, the man grinned. Grinned! "Oh," he said as he advanced on her. "I think it is."

"Zach, what are you-!" Kendall leapt from her seat and started backing up. "Zach!"

Snagging Kendall's wrist as she tried to escape, Zach pulled her slight body into his. "Come along, Mrs. Slater," he growled, throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I think it's time we finally have a honeymoon. Don't you?"

Kendall flailed as Zach pushed open the kitchen door and headed for the entry hall. "Zach!" she screeched. "Zach Slater, put me down!!! I swear you better put me down!!! Zaaacchh!!! Zaaaaaaaaaaaaacccchhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!"

Maggie nuzzled closer to Bianca, her face pressed into Bianca's neck. "Honey, I think there's a kidnapping in progress," she mumbled. "Think we should do something?"

"Yeah..." Bianca rolled over and pulled Maggie into her arms. "I'll get right on that..."

"Mmm, 'kay..."

The front door slammed shut.

"Damn... too late."

The door to the bedroom burst open suddenly, but neither Maggie nor Bianca moved a muscle.

"Did I hear screaming?" Greenlee asked sleepily from the doorway. "You guys aren't sexing each other up, are you?"

"Go away, Greenlee," Maggie mumbled from her place in Bianca's arms. "Or you'll be screaming next."

Shuffling to the bed, Greenlee lifted the covers and slid in, giving Bianca a hip-check to move her over a little bit. "Stop trying to convert me, Magpie," she replied, rolling onto her side and nuzzling down into the soft pillow, her back to Bianca and Maggie. "You know you really don't get a toaster oven."

After a long moment, Maggie's head came up off her pillow and Bianca craned her neck, both looking incredulously at Greenlee now snoring in their bed. Maggie reached out a hand but Bianca snagged her wrist before she could get a fistful of Greenlee's hair.

"Oh, come on," Maggie whispered. "Please?"

Bianca looked into Maggie's pleading gaze. "I understand where you're coming from, really I do." To prove it, Bianca put her elbow in Greenlee's back and gave her a shot. The snoring got louder. "At least wait until she's awake and can fully appreciate _what a pain in the ass she is_."

Maggie grinned suddenly. "I know one way to get rid of her."

Bianca stared at Maggie for a minute. "What? Ooh, ugh, no way! Not with her laying _right there_!"

"No, no, no. Eww, please." She snuck a glance over Bianca's shoulder. "Come on, help me." They maneuvered around. "On three, ready? One. Two. Three!"

With a mighty shove, they managed to push Greenlee off the bed. She landed on the floor with a hard _thump_, but never even woke up. Bewildered, both Bianca and Maggie stared over the side of the bed at the still-slumbering woman.

"Wow. That's a three foot drop."

"Did she land on her head? I think she landed on her head. How can you not wake up from that?"

"Well, I think being brain-dead already helps…"

Maggie rolled over, pulling Bianca up against her back spoon fashion. "I said on three, you know. You didn't push on three."

"Well, I wasn't sure. You didn't really clarify. Did you mean push on three or was it, you know, one, two, three, then push."

"I meant push on three. You know, like, one, two then push when I say three."

"Oh, because I thought you meant, one, two, three, push."

"Okay, for future reference, it's one, two and push on three. Okay?"

"Okay."

"One… two…," Greenlee mumbled in her sleep from the floor. "Push on… three…"

-----

Sunlight streamed in the bedroom window, giving Leo a warm place to curl up and sleep. Maggie stirred momentarily but Bianca pulled her arms tighter around the blonde, settling her back into the comfort of the soft sheets and warm skin.

Maggie cracked an eye open and read the time on her bedside clock. _Only 8:30_, she thought with a secretive smile._Plenty of time before I have to get to lab…_

At that exact moment, Bianca nipped at Maggie's shoulder, kissing her way up Maggie's slender neck to the hollow just behind her ear.

"Morning, Sunshine," the brunette whispered in her ear, her hot breath tickling Maggie's skin and raising goose bumps.

"Good morning." With a subtle shift, Maggie rolled over so she and Bianca were face-to-face. "I have never, in my life, seen anyone wake up looking beautiful the way you do."

Bianca grinned. "Sweet talker. You're just trying to get me naked."

"Is it working?"

"Hmm, maybe…"

"Maybe?" Maggie's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "I must be doing something wrong."

"Yeah, you are."

"What?"

"You're_talking_."

Maggie looked surprised. "Oh, my God, you're right!" Then she grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. "Let me put my lips to better use then."

"Well, it's about time."

With a velvet-soft growl, Maggie kissed Bianca, pressing her onto her back and leaning over her. Their lips clung softly to each other as they shared kisses, tasting and testing in the warm intimacy of morning. Nipping continuously at Bianca's lips, Maggie slid her arms up under Bianca's shoulders, resting on her elbows and tenderly brushing the porcelain skin of Bianca's cheek with the backs of her fingers.

For a long, quiet moment, Maggie looked intently into Bianca's eyes. Her gaze slowly traveled the face of her soul mate, imprinting each delicate feature into her memory. Bianca's brows knitted for a moment at Maggie's deep introspection then she watched as a gentle curving of lips produced that classic, beloved, patented Stone smile.

"You are so _hot_," Maggie said with a grin.

That comment made Bianca laugh. "You really know how to kill a romantic moment, Stone."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Still smiling, Maggie swooped down to capture her lips in a kiss and Bianca tilted her face to meet it. Maggie kissed her lips gently, then took slow, yet firm, possession. Maggie's lips parted; Bianca's followed. Instinctively, Maggie deepened the kiss, exploring Bianca's mouth without haste. The strong yet tender glide of her tongue against Bianca's, the dark, heady taste of Bianca's mouth. She threaded her fingers through the dark chocolate locks, cupping Bianca's cheek in her hand, now kissing her hungrily.

"Momma!" Miranda's voice chirped. "'Aggie!"

Maggie pulled back and they both turned to the tiny little voice. Their daughter stood by the night stand, a finger in her mouth and Elmo dangling from her fist.

"Houdini!" Maggie exclaimed under her breath to Bianca. "She's out of her crib, Binks!"

"Wow," Bianca murmured. "She's starting to climb…" Slowly extricating herself from Maggie's arms, Bianca rolled over onto her side, quickly sweeping a lock of hair behind her ear. "Munchie? How did you get out of bed?"

"Cwimbed out," the child answered matter-of-factly. Then she looked down. "Why Gweenwee sweeping here?"

Both Maggie and Bianca lunged to the side of the bed, peering over to see Greenlee still snoring on the floor. The shudder began in Maggie's feet and traveled up her body to her head and she quickly jumped out of bed.

"Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God," she kept repeating as she shuddered some more. "She was in here while we were making out! Ooh, ick! Yuck!" Shudder. "Oh, man, I need a shower."

As Maggie rushed into the bathroom, Greenlee rolled over and curled up into a fetal position, still sound asleep. She snorted, rubbed her face then proceeded to start snoring again. Bianca and Miranda both eyed the sleeping woman in awe.

"Momma?"

Bianca shook her head then smiled at her daughter. "Yeah, Sweetie?"

"Gweenwee woud when she sweeps…"

Maggie rushed out of the house a little later on her way to class, kissing Miranda on the cheek and Bianca on the lips and holding out a hand to Greenlee, shaking her head as she hurried by.

"Nononononono….," she muttered as she brushed past the woman, refusing to make eye contact.

"Wow, what's her problem?" Greenlee asked Bianca as she watched Maggie race out the door. "You'd think I caught you two having sex or something."

Bianca picked up Miranda and headed for the stairs. "You have no idea…"

After two days and no word from Kendall or Zach, both Maggie and Bianca assumed things were going rather well for the Slater's on the French Riviera. Sadly, this put Greenlee at serious loose ends, and she started following Bianca and Maggie like Leo trailing after Miranda. Maggie had, on more than one occasion, threatened the Widow DuPres to within an inch of her life. But, since it was nothing Greenlee wasn't already used to, she summarily ignored the warning.

Maggie came home from school one day, delighted to see Bianca had not gone into the office. She led the brunette to the den and onto the sofa, lying down next to her and pulling her into her arms.

"Well, aren't you the frisky one," Bianca said as her arms slid around Maggie's waist. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

Maggie waggled her eyebrows. "I got an A in my Advanced Physics lab."

"Maggie!" Bianca kissed her hard on the lips. "That's great!"

"Yeah, thanks. Actually, what I was getting at is, I want to try out some of this physics stuff."

Bianca's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how people are always saying that this or that is physically impossible? Well, I think we should give it a try."

"What do you have in mind?"

Maggie grinned. It only took a second for Bianca to grasp the direction Maggie's mind had taken and she reached up to meet Maggie's kiss halfway.

Trying anything to fill the time, Greenlee found herself in the nursery where Miranda had just awakened from her nap.

"Hey, Miranda," she said with a smile to the little girl. "How are you?"

Miranda, using her new-found skills to climb out of her crib, looked at Greenlee suspiciously as she rubbed her eyes. "Sweepy. Where Leo?"

"Um…" Greenlee looked around. "I don't know." She sat down on the floor near Miranda's toy chest and picked up her much beloved plush Elmo doll. "Your favorite, huh?" she asked.

Miranda toddled over and yanked Elmo out of Greenlee's hands. "Mine."

"Hey, relax, kid, I just wanted to see it." She held out her hand. "Can I please see the doll?"

Miranda held the plushie away from Greenlee, using both hands to hold it back over her shoulder. "No. Ehmo mine."

Greenlee reached out toward the little girl. "Come on, kid, let me see it."

"Mine!" Miranda shouted, twisting away from Greenlee further.

"I just want to look at it."

"No!" the child shrieked, her voice becoming increasingly more strident. "Ehmo mine! You go 'way!" The Miranda pointed at the door, her motion so frighteningly reminiscent of Kendall and Erica that Greenlee thought she was seeing things. "You go! Gweenwee meanie!"

Greenlee sat back, her eyes going wide. "Wow, kid, you must be channeling your Aunt Kendall."

"Go 'way!"

"Alright, alright," Greenlee replied, holding up her hands before getting to her feet. "Got them Kane genes going full blast, don't you, half pint?" She walked out the door then turned around, about to speak when Leo hissed at her. She stared at the cat then looked back to Miranda.

"No!" Miranda shouted, slamming the door in Greenlee's face.

"Having children," Greenlee muttered as she stared at the door. "What was I thinking?"

Stalking down the hallway, Greenlee was bored out of her mind once again. After the episode with Miranda and the little brunette conveniently shut the door in her face Greenlee was truly at a loss. Even the cat was giving her an attitude. Stomach beginning to growl, she decided to go and see if Maggie and Bianca were up for an early dinner. Quietly, she approached the den then leaned against the doorjamb, once again voyeur to the pair's intimate antics.

Maggie and Bianca continued necking on the sofa.

"So," Greenlee asked, checking her nails as she spoke, "What should we get for dinner? I'd ask Kendall but, well, duh, busy with Zach... hell, I don't even want to know what she is doing with Zach. As a matter of fact, I tried calling her cell phone and it went straight to voicemail. Ha! Straight! Get it? Well, maybe not, looks like I'm the only one of that in _this_ room. Okay, I guess that isn't funny. So, back to what I was saying, dinner. What should we get? I was thinking Chinese, but Kendall and I had that the other night. I'd want something French, because you know, hello, France... or, hey, maybe we could go out. Yeah, let's go out and take a walk. I'm sure we'll find something. Okay? Good, I'll go get Miranda dressed."

Maggie pulled back, her eyebrows knitting in confusion. "Did you hear something?" she asked Bianca, looking around the empty den.

"Huh-uh," Bianca replied with a shake of her head. She grabbed Maggie's jersey and yanked her back down. "Come here."

"Ooh, hi there, Bad Binks. I've missed you."

Bianca pulled Maggie closer. "I don't think you understand, Maggie. Shut up and kiss me."

"Mmm, bossy. I like it."

Bianca's head fell back onto the sofa. "Are you dense or what? When I say 'shut up and kiss me', you don't respond verbally, _you shut up and kiss me_!"

"Okay, okay-."

"Again with the talking? Your comprehension skills suck, you know that?"

Maggie grinned. "Yeah, but I got an A in my physics lab."

Bianca took Maggie's face in her hands. "You are a dork. But you're my dork and I love you."

"Now who's talking too much?"

Grinning, Bianca pulled Maggie to her and they kissed, their nibbling pecks quickly turning to deep soul kisses.

Greenlee and Miranda stood in the doorway, watching the display before them. Miranda sagged bonelessly in Greenlee's arms, having seen her parents in this position too many times before.

"Yeah, I getcha, kiddo…" Greenlee muttered.

"'Aggie horny," Miranda whispered. "Gweenwee horny, too."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Well, you got _that_ right…"

-----

After a week, there was still no word from the Slater's…

-----

The house was silent as Bianca entered, closing and locking the front door behind her. Greenlee must have taken Miranda out, so that meant she and Maggie might have some quiet time to themselves for a little bit. She dropped her briefcase and keys and went in search of her girlfriend.

The first floor was dark and quiet, no TV sounds, no clicking of the computer keyboard in the den. The French doors to the balcony were still locked…

"Maggie?" she called out. Classes were finished at 2:30 on Friday's. Bianca knew Maggie would be at home by now, if not to be with Miranda, then waiting for her. "Hey, Mags!"

"Up here," came the feeble response. "In the bedroom."

Bianca entered the bedroom to find Maggie in bed, covers pulled up to her chin. She was pale and drawn, and the sweat on her forehead had dampened her hair, plastering the bangs to her skin.

"Oh, Maggie," Bianca said softly. "What's wrong, Tiger?"

"Sick," Maggie mumbled miserably. "Cold… achy… yucky…"

"Oh, sweetie…" Bianca sat down next to Maggie on the bed and brushed the damp bangs back. "What happened?"

"I started feeling bad at school…" _sneeze sniffle_ "Cody…" _cough, cough, cough_ "Ah, gawd, I feel terrible…"

_The headache began right over the left eye, an ice pick being jabbed repeatedly into her sinus cavity. Almost instantaneously, her nose began dripping and no amount of blowing it helped. Suddenly, her throat was scratchy, as if she'd gargled with steel wool and washed it down with Drain-O._

"_Aw, God…" she moaned, feeling like she'd been body-slammed against the Arc d'Triomphe. She sneezed violently. "Jeez…"_

_The professor dismissed class and Maggie gathered up her books, moaning under her breath as she felt the ache roll into her joints. Shuffling out of class, she began to shiver._

"_Hey, Mags!" Cody shouted, causing her throbbing head to thunder twice before settling back into a steady rhythm. She slowly turned to the tall Oklahoman. "Whoa, little dude, you look like shit."_

"_Gee, thanks, Code." She stopped sniffling long enough to give Cody a look. "Did you just call me 'little dude'?"_

"_Sorry," he replied sheepishly. "Seriously, though, Maggie, you look terrible."_

"_I feel terrible. I'm going home." She coughed. "Can I borrow your notes when you're done?"_

"_No sweat. Go home and let Bianca baby you."_

"_Sounds good. Thanks, Cody."_

_By the time Maggie made it home, she felt like death warmed over. Never in her life had she been this sick. She stumbled into the bathroom and checked her temperature, which spiked to 102.2. She would shake then sweat profusely then her teeth chattered with the chills until she hid under the blankets in bed to warm up. She had a driving ache in her lower back, tingling in her fingertips and her toenails hurt. Curling up in bed, she moaned to herself until she heard Bianca come home_

"_Ah, God…" she groaned. "I'm dying…"_

"Oh, sweetie," Bianca said softly. "You stay here, I'll get you some soup. Have you taken anything?"

"Uhhhh, " Maggie groaned a she burrowed further under the covers. "Tylenol."

"When?"

"Uh, about 1 o'clock."

Bianca checked the bedside clock. "Well, it's 6:30 now, I think it's okay to take a couple more. I'll get you some juice, too. Okay? I'll be right back."

"Thank you, Bianca," Maggie mumbled miserably as the brunette headed for the kitchen. "I love you…"

Later that evening, Bianca and Miranda ate by themselves, leaving a slumbering Maggie in the master suite, the Tylenol and chicken soup having finally taken effect. After dinner, the two of them settled in the den to watch TV.

They were quietly watching a _Las Vegas_ re-run on the BBC when, muttering to herself and wrapped in the down comforter, Maggie stumbled into the den, reaching for her Dorland's Medical Dictionary.

"What the hell is wrong with me," she mumbled, flipping through pages and pages of medical definitions. Slamming the dictionary shut, she booted up her laptop and opened her web browser. "Man, I've got such a horrible cold… could be pneumonia…"

Bianca looked up from where Miranda had crawled off to play with Leo. "Try again, Dr. Stone."

"Maybe it's malaria…" She typed her symptoms into the Google search engine.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "When was the last time you were bitten by a mosquito?"

"There it is, I've got Scarlet Fever."

"What?!"

"Well, I've got all the symptoms. High fever, headache, chills." Maggie unconsciously scratched her arm then looked down. "Is this a rash? I think I have a rash."

"Oh, God…" Bianca went to the desk and read over Maggie's shoulder. "You don't have scarlet fever."

"I might."

"Maggie, you told me you had your tonsils out when you were 10. One of the main symptoms is swollen tonsils!" She looked at Maggie's arm. "And that's not a rash. You've been watching too much _Little House on the Prairie_ with Miranda."

Maggie typed in a few more symptoms. "Oh, my God! It's Rheumatic fever!"

Bianca read the computer screen. "Oh, I'm looking forward to the writhing spasms…"

"Maybe it's Hemorrhagic Fever."

"Ebola!?" Bianca laughed. "Oh, yes, because of all your work with monkeys in the Congo…"

"Asian bird flu."

"Flu, maybe. _Bird_ flu? I highly doubt it."

"Why not?"

"Much like your work with monkeys, you haven't been around very many live chickens recently."

"Rocky Mountain spotted fever?" Bianca gave her a look. "What? I've got all the symptoms!"

"Yeah, Typhoid Maggie... when _was_ your last tick infestation?" Bianca grinned to herself. "Maybe we should isolate you in the attic."

Maggie pointed at the screen. "Initial signs and symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of fever, headache, and muscle pain."

"That's also the initial signs and symptoms of the common cold and flu!" Bianca shook her head. "You know, they're right. Doctors are the absolute worst patients ever."

"I am not!"

"Maggie! You've diagnosed yourself with over a half dozen illnesses! I'm waiting to hear you say Bubonic Plague!" Maggie started to type the words into her web browser. "Stop it! You do not have the Bubonic Plague!" Maggie looked up pitifully at Bianca and gave her one weak cough. "Oh, Lord…" Bianca rolled her eyes and quickly turned off Maggie's laptop. She took her girlfriend by the arm, leading her out of the den and upstairs. "Come on, get in bed."

"Bianca, I'm really not feeling well enough-."

Bianca shoved the blonde onto the bed then covered her up to her ears with the blanket and comforter. "Don't even start with me, Maggie. Get your mind out of the gutter."

Bianca reached for the light switch and turned off the light, kissed Maggie on her damp, warm forehead, then headed for the door.

"Could be prostate cancer," she heard as she left the room.

----

Maggie's illness progressed at a normal rate. And she quickly developed a huge cold with fever and chills. The Cambias doctor came by the apartment and gave her a check up, then prescribed rest, fluids, a cough suppressant and Tylenol.

Almost instantly, Maggie reverted to childhood.

"Mommie!"

"Bianca!"

"Mommie!"

"Bianca!"

"Augh!!" Bianca yelped in frustration. She rushed into Miranda's room and picked up the little girl before turning toward the master suite.

"Bianca?" Maggie peeked out the bedroom door, completely wrapped in the comforter from head to toe, her hair a tangled mess, a pillow crease gracing her cheek. "B?"

"What?" the brunette snapped, holding Miranda against her hip. "What now?"

"Nothing. I just wanted some juice," Maggie replied pathetically, retreating back into the bedroom. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine…"

"Oh, good Lord," Bianca sighed. "What a martyr." She followed Maggie back into the master suite, watching her partner huddle miserably on the bed. "What kind of juice do you want?"

"No, I'm okay. You take care of Miranda."

Bianca rolled her eyes and turned toward the door. "Come on, Munchie, let's go get 'Aggie some juice." She stepped into the hallway and looked at her daughter. "'Aggie sure knows how to lay down the guilt, doesn't she, sweetie?"

"Yep, gewt," Miranda agreed, clutching Elmo and eying her mother curiously as they started down the stairs.

"And some applesauce, too!" Maggie yelled down to them from the bedroom. "Pleeease!"

Bianca's shoulders hitched up around her ears in a grimace at Maggie's shout. "Oh, she better get well soon," she muttered to Miranda. "So I can kill her…"

Maggie spent her days in bed, moaning, sleeping or begging for Bianca to bring her things. Bianca never thought she'd think it, but she was looking forward to getting away to the office and burying herself in work.

That weekend, Maggie was still cocooned in bed, hacking, coughing, sneezing and moaning.

----

Greenlee stood at the edge of the bed, listening to the lump beneath the covers moaning in misery. She could see Maggie's foot sticking out from under the covers, the only part of her body that wasn't completely buried by the comforter at the moment. She contemplated reaching down and yanking the sock off the blonde's foot and before she knew it, she was bending over, reaching down. Her hand was poised just inches above Maggie's foot when a tiny voice shouted from the doorway.

"No, Aunt Gweenwee! Bad!" Miranda shouted as she ran toward the bed, as if to stand guard over her 'Aggie. Dressed only in her tiny Rangers jersey and a diaper, she shook her finger at Greenlee the way she had seen her mother do to Leo on many occasions. The cat in question took up guard at Miranda's side. "Bad Gweenwee!"

Greenlee jumped in surprise and yanked her hand back. "Ha! It's okay Miranda, I was, um… I was…" She glanced down again. "I was just covering up Maggie's foot with the comforter," she babbled as she tried to hide her grin, unable to believe she was caught by an almost two-year old. She quickly grabbed the comforter and pulled it over Maggie's foot. "See? Don't want Maggie's feet getting cold now, do we?"

Miranda, on the other hand, wasn't as gullible as she looked. Brow wrinkling, pudgy fists on her hips, she stared the taller woman down, waiting for her to leave the room. "'Aggie no feel good." Another weak moan came from under the comforter. "'Aggie sick! No play!"

Sensing the inner Kane from the little girl's stern voice, Greenlee retreated peacefully and stepped away from the bed. "Fine, fine," she acquiesced, holding both hands up in surrender. "I'll leave 'Aggie alone." Still backing away, she finally turned and stomped out of the room like a petulant child, muttering to herself as she closed the door in her wake. "Jeez, Kendall goes away and I can't have any fun by myself. Wonder when the little rugrat will learn the Erica Kane hairtoss." She crossed her arms huffily over her chest. "I hate France…"

Once the door closed, Maggie's head emerged from under the covers like a turtle peeking out from its shell. Smiling weakly as she brushed her unruly hair out of her eyes, she attempted to clear her throat. "Thanks, sweetheart," she croaked.

"Otay, 'Aggie. Sweepy time. Go sweep." Like Bianca had done earlier, Miranda reached out and patted Maggie on the leg before giving her best toothy grin and skipping off to the nursery to play with her toys.

"No sweat, kid," Maggie replied with another whimpering moan. "I'm just gonna lay here and die…"

Out in the hallway, Greenlee glared at the closed bedroom door. "The kid's a little dictator!" she grumbled. "Has her own cult of personality and everything!"

"Oh, come on, Greenlee, she's just a little baby."

"Eep!" Greenlee squeaked in surprise, spinning around to find Bianca standing a few feet away. "Baby?" she exclaimed, recovering quickly. "She's not a baby! She's a little terror! She's your mother, three feet tall!"

Bianca quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "Aren't you over-reacting?"

"She chased me out of your bedroom!" she exclaimed. Then Greenlee looked around conspiratorially. "I think she growled at me, too."

Bianca gave Greenlee a look. "You called her a rugrat," she stated.

Greenlee's eyes went wide. "Oh, um, you heard that?" She shook her head. "Fine, take her side. I want Kendall to come back... I hate France."

Watching the spitfire walk away, Bianca shook her head. "I'm not sure France is real fond of you, either, Greens..."

Bianca slid into bed that night after putting Miranda down and checking on Greenlee, who was looking more and more like a lost waif. Pulling up the covers, she turned off the bedside lamp and settled in. Almost immediately, Maggie scooted up behind Bianca and began nuzzling her neck.

"Jeez, Maggie, what are you trying to do?" Bianca exclaimed, reaching back with a hand and holding Maggie off. "You're contagious!"

"I just wanted a kiss," Maggie pouted.

"Yeah, right." Bianca paused. "Is that your hand?"

Maggie shifted and rested her hand on Bianca's hip. "Just a kiss."

"No." Bianca shook her head. "I have never seen anyone so sick and so... so... horny at the same time!"

"Not even a small peck?"

"_I_ will kiss _you_," Bianca replied, rolling over to face the blonde. Maggie grinned and puckered up. "On the _cheek_."

"Aw, Binks!"

"It's either that or nothing."

"Oh, fine," Maggie whined. She presented her cheek to Bianca and got the buss. "Wow, great. I'm so excited. Woohoo…"

Maggie spent most of the night shuffling between the bedroom and the bathroom, blowing her nose, sneezing and coughing. Every time she thought she'd managed to clear her head, her sinuses would fill again and off she'd go to attempt to empty it again. Nothing seemed to be helping, especially not the ineffective sinus decongestant the doctor had prescribed.

"You'd thik the French would have really good drugs," Maggie muttered. "Doh ridiculous limitations over here like the FDA…"

Bianca rolled over as Maggie slid back into bed. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I'b a liddle congested...," Maggie complained, her head filled with congestion yet again.

"A little? Jeez, Mags, you've gone through three boxes of tissues."

"By nose is runny."

"Huh, ya think?"

"I've beed coughig a lot!" Maggie protested. And to prove her point, she began coughing, sounding like she'd somehow swallowed a bullhorn.

Bianca snorted. "I'm surprised you haven't coughed up a lung..."

"My throat hurts…"

"Maggie, you sound like Harvey Fierstein. I swear, last night when you whined for me to get you some juice, I thought there was a man in my bed. You scared the shit out of me!"

"I thik I have whooping cough…"

"Oh, Lord… You know, you've got more snot in your head than Miranda has ever had. I didn't think that was even possible."

"I'b sorry I'b sick…"

"Oh, come on," Bianca said with a sigh. Maggie was so strong, she really became pathetic when she got sick. "Try to sleep, honey. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning."

"I hobe so…"

Twenty minutes later, Bianca felt something. Awakened from a comfortable sleep, she found Maggie pressing tightly against her back, in their favorite spoon position, wide awake and something other than sleep obviously on her mind. Maggie had her hands all over Bianca, her mouth practically pressed to the back of Bianca's neck.

"Maggie," she said sternly. "Stop breathing all over me."

"What?"

"Your germs. You're breathing on me." Bianca could think of better things than a snot-filled, loogie-hacking sick girlfriend pawing her like a teenager in lust. "Ick, Maggie!"

"I can'd breathe through by dose!"

"Good Lord, Maggie!" Bianca exclaimed as Maggie's hands began awanderin'.

"What dow?!"

"You're all clammy. You're hands are sweating!"

"I'b sick!"

"No shit, Sherlock!"

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"Stop breathing on me!"

"I tode you. Hello... dose... stuffy."

"Maggie, you're going to make me sick, too."

Maggie grinned suddenly and leaned in, pressing her lips to Bianca's throat. "So we'll be confined to the bedroom together. Is that so bad?"

"Ugh!" Bianca exclaimed, giving Maggie a shove, pushing her off the side of the bed. Maggie hit the floor with a thud. "Oh, sorry. You okay?"

"Yeah," came the weak response.

"Good." She leaned over and smacked Maggie with a pillow. "How about now?"

Twenty minutes later:

"Bianca?"

"What now?"

"I'b code."

"What? How can you be cold? You have two blankets and a heavy comforter."

"Still. Code"

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Hode me?"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Oh, my God, what a baby."

"Please?"

"Okay, come here."

Maggie quickly curled herself into Bianca's arms. "I love you, Binks," she whispered, nuzzling her face into Bianca's neck. She felt comfortable there, safe.

"Yeah, and if I get sick, you are sooooo dead." The snore coming from the vicinity just below her ear told her Maggie was already asleep and probably hadn't heard her. Bianca sighed. "I love you, too, Tiger."

----

Bianca trudged into the apartment, dropping her briefcase to the floor and her keys on the entry hall table. Blowing out a huge sigh, she kicked off her shoes, one hand against the wall for support. She hated getting called in to the office by trouble-causing board members and she really hated it when they pulled the stunt on a Saturday.

Pushing her hair back off her forehead with another sigh, Bianca's head suddenly came up at the sound of thundering feet in the hallway. Maggie came rushing down the stairs, clad only in blue plaid sleep pants and a tight white tank top, and made a beeline for Bianca.

"Hey, Sweetie, how do you feel-?"

Before she could finish the thought, Maggie had her pinned against the wall. Without hesitation, Maggie's lips attacked Bianca's rapaciously as her arms wrapped around the brunette's waist, fisting handfuls of the blouse Bianca was wearing.

Squeaking initially in protest, Bianca almost immediately began to purr, her arms wrapping around Maggie's shoulders. She returned the kiss eagerly.

"Wow, someone feels better," she whispered into Maggie's ear when the kiss ended.

Maggie pressed her lips to the pulse beating in Bianca's neck. "Hmm, you feel pretty good, too." She nuzzled Bianca's throat, her nose tickling the sensitive skin. "My fever broke last night," she murmured. "And the medication is actually working for the congestion."

"Ye- es," Bianca replied, her voice hitching momentarily. She tiled her head to the side, her hand coming up to tangle her fingers in Maggie's silky hair. "I can tell. You don't sound like a foghorn anymore."

"Yeah, Harvey Fierstein called, he wanted his voice back."

That made Bianca chuckle. "Well, I'm glad to have my Tiger back," she replied, brushing the bangs out of Maggie's eyes. "Because you really suck as a sick person."

"Hey!" Maggie exclaimed as Bianca pushed her away and walked off. She quickly reached out and smacked Bianca on the butt. "I was really sick!"

"Yeah, yeah...," Bianca muttered patronizingly. She entered the den and screamed.

"Oh, yeah," Maggie deadpanned, following behind the brunette. "Zach and Kendall are back, too. And they're together."

Bianca looked at her sister and brother-in-law, on the sofa and wrapped in each others arms, necking like... well, like her and Maggie. "Yeah, I can see that," she said, giving Maggie a glance. "I'm not sure we can get them apart."

"Sure you can," Maggie told her, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the den doorway. Casually, she crossed one bare foot over the other and relaxed. "Watch this..." Bianca gave her a look and she winked. "Erica! What are you doing here?!?!"

"Mother!" Kendall shouted, shoving Zach away and jumping to her feet.

Bianca snorted, trying to hold in her laughter at the wide-eyed look of terror on Kendall's face. "So, how was the Riviera?" she asked rhetorically.

Maggie grinned. "I'm going to get some wine. Anyone else?"

"Let me help you," Zach rumbled, rubbing his chest as he got to his feet.

Maggie pinched Bianca on the butt before turning and heading to the kitchen with Zach in tow. As Bianca turned to take a swipe at the shorter girl, Greenlee whizzed past them.

She grabbed Kendall by the arms, hugged her then took her by the arms again. "Don't you ever leave me again!" she exclaimed with a shake of Kendall's arms.

"Jeez, Greenlee," Kendall asked, trying to fight the woman off. "When did you switch teams? Did Maggie get a free toaster oven for this?"

"No, Maggie did not get a free toaster oven- What? Oh, shut up. Maggie didn't even have any fun because she was sick the whole time."

"Crap, and I was stuck with Zach at the Riviera..." The taller woman shook her head. "I hate when that happens."

"And your niece," Greenlee continued, ignoring the sarcasm. "She takes after your mother."

"Hey!" Bianca exclaimed.

Kendall tried to hide her grin. "What did she do to you?"

"She... she stares at me," Greenlee snapped. "Like how your mother does."

"You're crazy, Greenlee, she's two years old. You're intimidated by a 2-year old." Kendall shook her head. "That's sad, man, so sad."

"Hey, while you're on the Riviera getting all sexed up by Mr. Hart, I'm here in the sick ward watching Maggie hock up loogies and Miranda shake her finger at me like I got caught passing notes in class!" Kendall laughed at Greenlee's distraught expression. "It's not funny!"

Kendall shook her curly head again. "Do you know why you and Miranda fight?"

"Why?"

"Because you're both acting like 2-year olds. Tell me what's wrong with this picture?"

Greenlee gave Kendall a scathing glare. "Eh, bite me, Slater. You have sex a time or two and now you know everything."

Kendall just grinned. "Trust me, Greenpea, it was more than a time or two."

"Aw, God, not you, too…"

----

They managed to enjoy dinner at a local café before retiring to the den to ostensibly watch a DVD on TV, but Greenlee sat on the sofa and looked at the two couples, all starry-eyed and disgustingly happy, making googly eyes at each other, touching sweetly or kissing happily.

"Oh, man, you guys are so sweet," she grumped. "I think I'm getting a cavity. No, you know what? I think my teeth are going to rot and fall out of my head."

The others either didn't hear her or ignored her completely.

Suddenly, Bianca sneezed. Again. And again. And again. Maggie looked at her in shock. Bianca whimpered then moaned.

And Greenlee smiled.

TBC-

Interesting to note, yes, doctors do still make house calls in France.


	12. The Happiest Place on Earth

Disclaimer - Do not remove this tag under penalty of law

Rating for this chapter: PG-13 for mild sexual situations

* * *

**You're so good  
When we make love it's understood  
It's more than a touch or a word we say  
Only in dreams could it be this way  
When you love someone  
Yeah, really love someone**

**Now, I know it's right  
From the moment I wake up till deep in the night  
There's no where on earth that I'd rather be  
Than holding you, tenderly  
**Foreigner – _Waiting For a Girl Like You_

Chapter 12 – Somebody's Two-Years-Old… And It Ain't Greenlee

Or... Paris, The Happiest Place on Earth

Paris, France

Late March/Early April, 2006

Soft giggling filled the air as Miranda watched Leo sitting on the railing of her crib. He looked down at his master, intently watching her delighted eyes, and began to purr. He reached out a paw, but quickly pulled it back when he began to lose his balance. Giggling again, Miranda got to her feet and grabbed the railing beside Leo.

"Leo kitty," she whispered, reaching out a finger to touch the cat's tail. The purring intensified.

"Meow," Leo trilled, watching as his master squirmed and climbed her way out of the crib. He was poised anxiously, ready to leap to her aid should she fall. Once she was safely on the floor, he jumped to her side.

"Unca Zap," Miranda said softly, toddling over to the rocking chair. She climbed up the leg of the man sleeping there, settling on his lap before reaching out and gently patting his cheek. "Hi, Unca Zap."

Zach's eyes fluttered open at the baby-soft touch to his cheek. Rubbing his whiskered jaw, he smiled at the child in his arms. "Hello, Your Highness," he grumbled to his niece. "How are you today?"

"Otay," Miranda replied. "Unca Zap? Why you sweep here?"

"Well, Sweet Princess, I was watching over you."

"Why?"

"Well, because I wanted to see if you were okay."

"Why?"

Zach tried to hide his smile. "Because I love you."

Miranda grinned. "Otay," she replied, knowing it was just that simple. "Unca Zap?"

"Yes?"

"Stowy?"

Pulling the child closer into his body, Zach settled in the rocker, enjoying the sweet baby smell of his niece. She was the best thing Michael ever did and his brother would never have the chance to destroy her gentle childish wonder. "What would you like to hear, my Queen?"

Miranda thought about it. "Muver doose."

"Oh, no, Mother Goose again?"

"Yeah."

Zach groaned. "I don't know if I can do Mother Goose again," he teased. Miranda started giggling. "Are you sure you don't want to hear some Tolstoy? What about a little Joyce. James Joyce?"

"No, Unca Zap!" she giggled. "Muver doose! Muver doose!"

"Okay, okay." He sighed. "You're a tough negotiator, Little Montgomery. It will serve you well some day."

"Wead, Unca Zap."

Chuckling, Zach picked up the familiar book from the small side table. "Yes, Highness," he replied.

"Here," Miranda said suddenly, poking her finger at a particular page. "Wead this."

Zach gave the authoritative little girl a look, one eyebrow quirked at her countenance. Then, clearing his throat, he began to recite the nursery rhyme with his deep Irish brogue.

_I saw a ship a-sailing,  
A-sailing on the sea. _

_And, oh, but it was laden  
With pretty things for thee. _

_There were comfits in the cabin,  
And apples in the hold;  
The sails were made of silk  
And the masts were all of gold. _

_The four-and-twenty sailors  
That stood between the decks,  
Were four-and-twenty white mice  
With chains about their necks. _

_The captain was a duck  
With a packet on his back,  
And when the ship began to move  
The captain said, "Quack! Quack!" _

"Quack, quack!" Miranda chortled, leaning into Zach. "Again, Unca Zap! Again!"

Hearing voices coming from the nursery, Kendall edged up to the door and peeked inside. Her heart thudded in her chest as she watched Zach and Miranda tease and laugh, smiling as she watched the little girl attempt to tickle the large man under the chin. Tears welling in her eyes at catching a glimpse of the gentle soul beneath the big Irishman's gruff exterior, Kendall quietly backed away from the door, silently slipping back downstairs before being discovered.

Unaware of her sister's presence, Bianca backed away from the door to the nursery inside the master suite. Quietly closing the door, she had the foresight to lock it before turning back to the bed.

"What's going on?" Maggie asked softly, watching Bianca slide back into bed beside her.

Bianca grinned as she snuggled into Maggie's arms and found a comfortable position. "Uncle Softy is reading to Miranda," she replied, nuzzling her head under Maggie's chin. "Mother Goose."

Maggie laughed. "Again?"

"Again."

"Do you think they're occupied?"

Bianca pulled back to look up into Maggie's eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, we're both finally over that stupid cold and we haven't made love in a week." Maggie pouted. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too, Tiger," Bianca replied with a little half-smile. "Maggie?"

Maggie looked up into Bianca's eyes, chocolate brown pools that Maggie had no trouble falling into and drowning. "Yeah?"

"Kiss me."

Maggie shook her finger at Bianca. "No way, the last time you said that we had this whole, big 'my comprehension skills suck' thing. I'm not getting into that again."

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

"Talking."

"Bianca!"

"Just shut up and kiss me."

Maggie grinned. "Okay, maybe my comprehension skills _do_ suck."

"Wow, you don't know when to shut up, do you-?"

Before Bianca could finish her sentence, Maggie pounced on her, forcing her back into the pillows, devouring the brunette's lips with her own. Almost instantly, Maggie had divested Bianca of her clothing and was working on her own sleep pants and tank top.

"Maggie…" Bianca mumbled around Maggie's lips. "Hey…"

"Bianca," Maggie replied, tossing her tank top halfway across the room. "You're the one-," kiss "who keeps-," kiss, kiss "telling me-," kiss, kiss, nuzzle, kiss "to shut up."

"Yeah?"

"So-," kiss "shut-," kiss, kiss "up."

With a grin, Bianca caught Maggie's face in her hands, brushing locks of hair back off her forehead. "I wondered where the horny Maggie I know and love had gone."

"She's right here, baby," Maggie replied with a grin. "And she wants to show you how horny she's been lately." Quickly glancing away, Maggie's brow furrowed. "You did lock the door, didn't you?"

Bianca laughed. "Yes, Tiger, I locked the door. Both of them."

"Mmm, good…" Rising up on her elbows, Maggie gazed down into Bianca's eyes. Again she found herself mesmerized by the brunette, unable to look away. And again she drank in those timeless features, the curve of Bianca's cheek, the tilt of her chin, the flawless skin. Maggie committed them all to memory, burning the face of her love into her mind for all eternity. "I love you," she whispered, brushing her fingertips over Bianca's porcelain skin. "More than anything, I love you." Maggie gave a slight shake of her head. "I don't know why it took me so long to admit it."

"You weren't ready for it, I understand that, Maggie."

Maggie sighed. "It had nothing to do with you being a woman, Bianca."

Bianca gave her a little smile. "Oh, you think so?"

"Yeah, I do. When I was spending all that time trying to figure out where I stood, what I was, it wasn't really a gay or straight thing. It was always a love thing. I ran to Henry and Jamie and Jonathan because they were the safe answer. I didn't love them. I was so scared to love you, not because you were a woman, but because I didn't know how to love. I was so afraid to love you back then because I didn't know how."

Bianca slid her hands slowly up Maggie's bare back, reveling in the silken feel of skin beneath her palm. "You do a pretty good job of loving me, Tiger."

"Well, that's because I finally know how. You taught me how."

"That's funny, because if you want to know the truth, you taught me how, too."

Maggie's brow knitted. "Yeah?"

Bianca gave Maggie a sweet smile. "Yeah. You loved me when I didn't think it was possible for anyone to love me. You held my hand and you kissed away my tears and showed me how to love without thinking about it. You just loved me, with no limits or questions or cares. And because of that, I know how to love you back the same way." Reaching out a gentle hand, Bianca touched Maggie's lips with her fingers. "You loved me unconditionally, Maggie. I never loved that way until you."

"I love you, Boom-Boom."

That made Bianca chuckle. "I love you, too, Tiger."

With a smile, Maggie dipped her head and caught Bianca's lips with her own. "Of course," she whispered, "had I known then what I know now… it certainly wouldn't have taken me so long to finally get my head out of my ass."

"Are you talking about the sex or the amount of it?"

Maggie grinned. "Yes." Suddenly, Maggie sobered, her eyes taking in Bianca's face. "It's not just sex, you know."

Bianca returned Maggie's smile with a gentle one of her own. "I know that, Maggie. I've always known that."

"I love you, Bianca."

"I love you, too, Maggie."

Maggie again captured Bianca's lips with her own. The kiss deepened, a passionate expression of the love shared between them. Bianca pulled Maggie closer, reveling in the warmth of Maggie's touch.

Pushing herself up onto her hands, Maggie leaned over Bianca, gently lowering herself down to kiss her ardently, taking control and delving deeper. She felt Bianca's hands on her back, slowly gliding upward, fingertips dancing up her spine, before sliding back down to the small of her back. Arms wrapped around her and she settled into Bianca's embrace.

Bianca slipped a hand into Maggie's hair, burying her fingers in the silken locks to hold her close and deepen the kiss even further. Maggie slipped an arm around Bianca's waist, rolling backward to pull Bianca over her. She echoed Bianca's movement and slid a hand into Bianca's dark tresses, letting the soft hair sift through her fingers.

A childlike giggle and the deep rumble of a male voice floated into the room. To Maggie, it was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head.

She pulled back. "I can't," she said suddenly, dropping her arms onto the mattress at her sides.

Bianca pulled back. "Excuse me?"

"I can't. Not with _that_."

"With what?"

Maggie cocked her head. Silence.

"Okay, come here," she said, pulling Bianca back into her arms. Smothering Bianca's lips in a kiss, she quickly reversed their position. Almost on cue, there was giggling and laughter again from the nursery. Maggie let Bianca go abruptly and sat back. "No, I can't." she said, hands up in surrender. "I can't."

"What?!" Bianca replied, brushing her hair back off her forehead. She watched her girlfriend climb out of bed and pull on her sleep pants and tank top, then begin pacing. "Why the hell not?"

Maggie stopped in her tracks. "_Zach's_ in there!" she snapped, pointing at the closed nursery door. "I mean… _Zach's_ in there!"

"Yeah, you said that already."

"Bianca…" Maggie climbed onto the bed and sat beside the brunette. "On the other side of that door is the man who is married to your sister. Your brother-in-law. Family."

"So?" Bianca shook her head. "You're just not trying hard enough…"

"So?" Maggie sighed. "Um, how would you feel if you walked by their bedroom and suddenly heard noises? Noises that you could easily figure out what they were? One flimsy, wooden door between you and… what is obviously going on on the other side."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "You're weird."

"I just gave up sex with you, so, yeah, probably."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Hey!" Greenlee called in to them, rattling the locked doorknob. "You guys awake? Why'd you lock the door? Open up!" She shook the door harder. "Open uuuup!"

Maggie pointed at the door. "And that, right there, is another reason."

Bianca just flopped back on the bed.

That night, after everyone had retired for the evening, Maggie locked the bedroom door and took Bianca to bed, making love to her all night to make up for the time they were apart during their respective illnesses. The next morning, Maggie woke up and immediately feared their intense and frequent nocturnal activities had rendered her blind.

Then she dug her way out from under the covers, her head buried at the foot of the bed.

xxxxxxxxxx

Later that week, Maggie got home from lab to find Bianca sitting on the edge of the bed. The forlorn look on the brunette's face scared Maggie for a moment, until she remembered that Kendall and Greenlee were still living with them, so Maggie deduced that at least it wasn't bad news from Erica.

"Hey, sweetie," she said, moving to Bianca's side. "What's wrong?"

Bianca sighed. "I just talked to Anita."

"Oh? How's she doing?"

"Um, well, not so good actually."

Maggie could sense this was not going to end well. "What's wrong?" she asked cautiously.

"Well, I think she wanted to talk to a friend. About relationships. Failed ones..."

"What happened? What did Aidan do?"

Bianca gave her a look. "Why do you assume Aidan did something?"

Maggie snorted. "Because he's a man."

"Sound logic..."

Taking Bianca's hands in hers, Maggie held her close. "Okay, Boom-Boom, talk to me."

"Well, they decided to break up. She was gone so long helping Maria get settled that they kind of grew apart."

"I guess that's kind of understandable. It sucks, but it's understandable." Maggie pressed a kiss to Bianca's forehead. "Does she want to come over for a visit?"

Bianca snorted. "Yeah, we'll get right on that. She can sleep in the linen closet."

Maggie looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, I guess we are a bit full up at the moment."

"Well, we do have one spare bedroom left, but I think Greenlee's attitude is going to move in there." Maggie chuckled then saw the serious look on Bianca's face. "There's more," Bianca said softly.

Maggie sighed. "Yeah, I kinda figured."

"I guess Aidan met someone while Anita was helping Maria. A new woman moved to Pine Valley… I guess she has family there."

Maggie's heart skipped a beat. The other shoe was about to drop and she knew it. "And?" she asked, dragging the word out in resigned expectation.

Bianca swallowed. "Her name is Erin." She paused, watching the words soak into Maggie's head. "Erin-."

"Lavery?!" Maggie exclaimed. "It's Erin Lavery?!"

"Yeah, Sweetie."

"He's dating Erin _Lavery_?!"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I think we've already established that fact, Tiger."

"A Lavery! He's dating a _Lavery_!"

"Yes, Maggie," Bianca repeated, watching Maggie leap to her feet.

"After all he did to save my ass!" Maggie exclaimed. "Now _he's_ dating a Lavery?! Are you _kidding_ me?!" She paced the bedroom floor, fists clenched at her sides. "That idiot! Doesn't he remember trying to save _my_ ass? I dated that Lavery psycho, doesn't he remember that?"

"Well, technically, Jonathan was a socio, but that's beside the point."

Maggie gave Bianca a look. "Whatever!" She let out an exasperated huff. "I can't believe he'd be that stupid! He had a good thing with Anita! She was good for him!"

"Well, she certainly wasn't Kendall."

Maggie snorted. "Huh, no one but Kendall is Kendall."

"She's moving to California."

"Kendall?"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Anita, you doof." She paused, her throat closing up momentarily. "She's going to help Maria with the kids."

Maggie saw the tears in Bianca's eyes and moved to sit again by her side. She took the brunette's hands in hers. "What's wrong, Sweetie?"

All Bianca could do was sigh, her breath catching on a sob. "Everyone is moving away from Pine Valley. It doesn't seem like home anymore. The only people there that I care about anymore are Mom, Jack, Reggie and Lily."

"What about Kendall and Greenlee? And Zach?"

"Are you kidding? I think they live with us now. I swear I saw Kendall filling out change of address forms..." She laughed with Maggie, her tears momentarily at bay. "Sorry."

"Oh, honey, its okay. I understand." Maggie crawled onto the bed, pulling Bianca into her arms. "The place isn't the same anymore, but you know, that had a lot to do with what happened last year."

"How?"

"The people you grew up with are still there, the relationships have changed. That's a normal life progression."

Bianca sniffled. "Are you taking Advanced Sociology this semester?" she cracked.

"Does it seem so? I'm doing really well in that class." Maggie shook her head sadly. "Jeez, I can't believe Aidan. And you wonder why I swore off men. It's because they're so stupid."

Finally, Bianca grinned. "You swore off men because you started getting lucky with a girl."

"Nah, I swore off men because _you_ started getting lucky with a girl."

Laughing at Maggie's joke, Bianca leaned into her girlfriend, resting her head on Maggie's shoulder. "Thanks," she said softly.

"For what?" Maggie replied, her arm around Bianca's shoulders to hold her close.

"Making me laugh when I needed it."

Maggie grinned. "That's what I'm here for." She pressed her lips to Bianca's brow. "You know what else would make you laugh?"

"Shipping Kendall and Greenlee home in a crate?"

"Okay, well, besides that."

Bianca appeared to think about it. "Nope, can't think of anything that would make me laugh quite like that would."

Maggie gave Bianca a look. "Okay, you've got a serious mean streak people don't know about." Bianca just smiled and nodded. "No, I meant taking Miranda to Disneyland Paris for her birthday this weekend."

"Oh!" Bianca exclaimed. "We can ride 'It's a Sma-."

"No!" Maggie shouted, holding up a hand.

"But-."

"No!"

"Maggie-."

"NO!"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on."

"You mention it one more time, Binks, and you stop getting lucky with _this_ girl."

"Yeah, sure, like you want to make _that_ bet again."

Maggie smirked. "Hey, I'm not the one who lost," she reminded the brunette.

Bianca huffed. "Fine, I'm sure Kendall will enjoy the ride with me while you wait outside for us."

Suddenly, Greenlee stuck her head in the door. "Did I hear something?"

"No, you didn't," Maggie snapped.

"No, I did, I know I did. I could have sworn I heard the words Disneyland Paris. Oh! Are we going to Disneyland?!"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Kendall's right, she does act just like a two-year old."

Maggie shook her head. "You'd think it was _her_ birthday..."

Greenlee pouted. "I heard that, you know."

"Hey, who said you were invited?"

Too late, Greenlee was already running down the stairs towards the den and squealing. "We're going to Disneyland! Kendall! We're going to Disneyland-! Oh, man, could you two stop sucking face for _one_ minute?!"

Bianca sighed. "You think maybe we should tell her we're not going today?"

Maggie grinned. "No, I say let her run around the apartment for awhile, then tell her."

"Why, Maggie Stone!" Bianca chuckled. "You seem to have a bit of a mean streak, too!"

Waggling her eyebrows, Maggie leaned in and kissed Bianca, forcing her back onto the bed. "Yeah, I do," she replied. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Is that a challenge?" Maggie just waggled her eyebrows again, grinned and nodded her head. "Show me what you got, Tiger."

When Maggie hesitated for just a moment, Bianca grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her down, their lips colliding feverishly. Burying her fingers in Maggie's silky hair, Bianca deepened the kiss so their tongues could renew acquaintances.

Maggie tugged Bianca's blouse from her jeans, a hand settling on her waist, the skin hot and smooth beneath her fingertips. Maggie felt her heart skip a beat at the feel of Bianca beneath her, the touch and taste of her. She leaned over Bianca again, kissing her deeply, allowing her hair to fall in a curtain around them. She felt Bianca's hands under her own shirt, sliding up her back and pulling her close.

Suddenly, Maggie jumped up and ran to the door, throwing the lock before returning to the bed. "As long as we have Greenlee being a pain in Zach and Kendall's butt, let's take advantage. Okay?"

Bianca grinned. "If you insist."

"You know I do." Moving back to the bed, Maggie crawled onto the mattress and over Bianca, leaning down to kiss her again. "Mmm, you taste good. Why do you always taste good?"

Bianca reached up, kissing Maggie again before she could move too far away. "It's toothpaste."

"No," Maggie replied, nibbling at Bianca's kiss-swollen lips. "I'm not talking minty fresh like Scope. I mean, like chocolate and strawberries and… and…" She kissed Bianca once more. "Okay, maybe there is a little minty goodness in there… but, seriously, you taste good. You know that dessert we get down at the café around the corner? With the berries and the chocolate and the whipped cream? You taste like that."

"So, I taste like the chocolate-berry explosion at Café Michele?"

Maggie nodded. "Just like the real thing."

Bianca laughed. "You are so weird." Maggie waggled her eyebrows and grinned. "Okay, Stone, what are you thinking now?"

"How do you know I'm thinking anything?" Bianca just gave her a look. "Okay, okay… I was thinking maybe we could… take a shower or something."

"Hmm, a shower, huh?"

"Yeah."

Bianca grinned and put a hand to Maggie's cheek, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear with gentle fingers. "You know, you _love_ bathing as much as Miranda _hates_ it."

"Yeah, well, she'll change her mind someday."

"Maggie!"

Maggie smiled and pressed her lips to Bianca's. "Come on, Boom-Boom," she whispered huskily, sliding off the bed and pulling Bianca up beside her. "Let's get clean."

Following Maggie toward the master bath, Bianca had to smirk. "Never before have two people been so dirty getting clean."

"Hey, Binks?" Maggie replied, tugging Bianca along.

"Yeah?"

"Stop staring at my ass."

xxxxxxxxxx

Just Outside Paris, France

Friday, March 24, 2006

The morning dawned clear and crisp, the sun peaking in through the bedroom window to drape across the bed like a warm golden blanket. Maggie held Bianca in her arms, their legs intertwined beneath the sheets. Bianca's head nestled on Maggie's shoulder, her face buried deep in Maggie's neck. Her dainty little snore tickled Maggie's skin.

Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open. "Get up!" Greenlee shrieked, running into the room. "Get up, you lazy butts! We're going to Disneyland today!"

Bianca started in surprise then burrowed deeper into Maggie's neck. "Kill her, Maggie…"

"Come on!" Greenlee pleaded. "Get up! I'll go get Miranda ready, okay? Okay!"

And she was gone, the door shutting behind her.

Maggie stretched. "Morning…" she mumbled, rolling onto her side and pulling Bianca closer.

"Excellent timing once again," Bianca muttered. Then she grinned in memory. "Although last night's timing was really pretty amazing…"

"No more," Maggie complained sleepily. "I can't feel my legs…"

"Maggie."

"Uncle!" Maggie exclaimed suddenly, causing Bianca to jump. "I give, Bianca!" Then the blonde started giggling. "Uncle, uncle, uncle…. Okay, okay, Boom-Boom is the best lover in the world… there, I said it… you win…"

Bianca shook her head. It was amazing how much Maggie talked in her sleep, since Bianca never remembered her doing so when they lived together in that small studio apartment. Of course, a lot of things had changed since then, up to and including the fact that they now slept in the same bed, not just the same room. And, apparently, Bianca gave Maggie an awful lot to talk about when she was asleep.

"Uncle!" Maggie suddenly shrieked, giggling uncontrollably in her sleep.

"Momma?" Miranda said from beside the bed, nearly giving Bianca a heart attack. "Why 'Aggie yewing at Unca Zap?"

Giggling a little more, Maggie suddenly purred. "Biaaancaa…"

"Momma-?"

Bianca leapt out of bed. "Okay, Munchie, let's go get dressed," she said quickly, sweeping the child up in her arms and heading back toward the nursery, hoping to forestall any more questions she was totally unable, and unprepared, to answer. "I thought Aunt Greenlee was going to get you ready?"

Miranda's brow furrowed. "Aunt Gweenwee wowd. She waughing funny… I make her go 'way."

"Well, sweetie, she's just happy we're going to celebrate your birthday today."

"I two!" Miranda exclaimed, holding up three fingers.

With a smile, Bianca gently tucked Miranda's ring finger down into her hand. "That's two, baby girl."

"Otay, Momma." Miranda looked down at her hand, focusing intently on what two looked like.

Maggie appeared in the doorway suddenly, her hair a rat's nest on her head. She rubbed her face tiredly. "Good morning," she mumbled.

"'Aggie!" Miranda squealed. She held up her hand. "I two!"

"Yes, you are, Munchie," the blonde replied, more alert after seeing the two loves of her life before her. She moved over to Bianca's side, reaching out a hand to brush Miranda's cheek. "You ready to go to Disneyland?"

Miranda shrieked. "Dineywand!!"

Laughing, Maggie kissed the little girl on the top of her head. "Why don't we have breakfast real quick, your Momma and I will get cleaned up and we'll go. Okay?"

"Otay. Unca Zap and Aunt Kenah coming, too?"

"Yep. Even Aunt Gweenwee- I mean, Greenlee."

"Yay!!"

xxxxxxxxxx

After a breakfast of Maggie's pancakes, expressly demanded by the birthday girl, the extended Montgomery-Stone family piled into a Cambius-issued Volvo XC90 and headed to Disneyland Paris on the outskirts of the city. Greenlee was absolutely beside herself, bouncing anxiously in her seat the entire ride. Maggie threatened twice to stop the car and leave her on the side of the road. Even though Zach was driving.

Once they arrived at the park, Greenlee grabbed Miranda up in her arms and raced towards the entrance, the two of them giggling excitedly and babbling about all they planned to do. The adults followed leisurely in their wake, shaking their collective heads in amazement.

Inside the gates, they headed first for Sleeping Beauty's Castle, then to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Maggie insisted on Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain, which Bianca gracefully bowed out of, before they decided to grab a bite to eat.

After lunch, they stepped back out onto the sun-dappled walkway, sending the flow of traffic around them like a pebble in a stream. A variety of languages floated on the cool Parisian air to them, French, English, German and Swedish among others.

It got intensely quiet for a moment, then Maggie's eyes widened. "No!" she exclaimed. "Oh, no!" Waving a finger at Bianca, she began to back away. "No way!"

Bianca sighed. "You don't have to ride it if you don't want to, Maggie."

Just about to take Bianca up on her offer, Maggie glanced down and saw Miranda watching her, an eager look on her face. _I can't say no to that face_, she thought to herself. _How cruel would that be?_ Then she did a double-take, her brow furrowing slightly. _Oh, my God! That's the Stone pout! I'm screwed! She's using it against me!_

"Okay, come on," Maggie finally said, sighing in resignation. "Let's go ride _'It's a Small World'_."

"Yay!" Miranda exclaimed, throwing herself against Maggie's legs and hugging like crazy. "Fank you, 'Aggie!"

"Yeah, yeah… You and me are going to have a little talk later about 'the look'," Maggie said to the little girl, sweeping her up in her arms and leading the crew towards Fantasyland. "I taught it to you to use on your mother. You're breaking the rules using it on me."

There was a momentary pause. "I wuv you, 'Aggie," Miranda finally responded, her arms squeezing gently around Maggie's neck.

Maggie just groaned. "Your mother taught you _that_, didn't she?"

Bianca caught up to Maggie's side and put her hand gently on Miranda's head, slowly brushing down until her palm casually pressed against the small of Maggie's back. "I needed something of my own to get my way," she explained to the flustered blonde. "You got the pout, I got… the phrase."

"Oh, man, this is the rest of our lives, isn't it? Miranda using the pout and the phrase and she gets whatever she wants."

Bianca chuckled. "Yep. Welcome to parenthood."

"Great…"

Eventually, they made their way through the line at the Fanstasyland ride, Kendall and Zach getting into a boat just ahead of them, Greenlee alone with a large stuffed Goofy behind them. At the last minute, Stitch, who had been working the ride with a frighteningly Nordic-looking Lilo, jumped into Greenlee's boat and wrapped a blue claw around the widow duPres' shoulder, joining her on the ride. Giggling like a schoolgirl, Greenlee snuggled close to the big blue alien.

Just as their boat passed the North American continent and its large collection of creepy singing dolls, Maggie felt Bianca's lips on her neck. Assured that Miranda was entranced with the sensory overload she was currently enjoying, Maggie turned her head and Bianca's next kiss landed on her lips.

"Mmm," she whispered as they parted. "I think I'm beginning to like this ride."

Bianca smiled against Maggie's mouth. "It's a small world, after all…" she murmured before kissing her again.

"Hey, you two!" Greenlee's voice shouted from the boat behind them. "I can see you, ya know!"

Maggie sighed. "Sometimes it's too small."

"Quit playing tonsil hockey in the House of the Mouse! Show some Mickey respect!"

Maggie groaned. "You should see the boat in front of us," she muttered.

"Huh?" Bianca asked, glancing forward. "Ew, ick!"

"Hey, look!" Maggie whispered urgently as they met up at the exit of the ride. "Kendall's crying, too! I knew it!"

Kendall sighed into Zach's arms. "I love this ride," she whimpered.

"Aw, crap."

Bianca hid her smile as she settled Miranda into her stroller, the little girl showing signs of tiredness. She had completely skipped her mid-morning nap for this outing and Bianca was sure she would be asleep before a decision was made on what they should ride next.

So, while Miranda napped, Maggie rode as many of the more thrilling rides as she could. Zach joined her for Space Mountain a second time, Big Thunder Mountain and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril before finally wrapping it up with the Rock n' Roller Coaster at the adjacent Walt Disney Studios park. Before they had stepped foot off the ride, though, Miranda was awake and raring to go with her second wind.

They were making for the Flying Carpets Over Agrabah Ride, at her Majesty's request, strolling happily in the warm March sun.

"You know, I'm beginning to feel bad for Greenlee," Maggie whispered, walking hand-in-hand with Bianca.

"Why?" Bianca looked at Maggie, eyebrow raised.

Maggie watched as Greenlee skipped ahead of them, hearing the faint hum of 'Zippity doo dah'. "Because I can tell she was deprived as a child. Very, very deprived."

Bianca grinned. "Now, what makes you say that?"

"Just look at her. Pink Minnie Mouse ears, loads of Disney treats and she _liked_ that-," Maggie shuddered. "That-."

"It's okay, Tiger, you can say it. Lightening isn't going to strike if you do."

"No." Maggie shook her head vehemently. "Nope, not gonna do it…"

Suddenly, Kendall and Zach walked past them with Miranda in their arms, both singing the words to 'It's a Small World After All' while Miranda giggled.

Maggie groaned. "Oh man, I'm outnumbered."

Bianca watched the couple thoughtfully. "You know, Zach doesn't exactly strike me as the amusement park type."

"Yeah, well, you should have seen him in the arcade," Maggie replied. She shook her head. "The man's got a serious gun thing going on. I watched him play 'Ghost Squad' and I think he killed the President on purpose."

Bianca chuckled as they slipped into the queue for the ride. Greenlee took Miranda from Kendall's arms and the two began chattering happily. They rode together on one of the 'Magic Carpets', giggling with each other at a joke no one else was allowed in on.

Afterwards, Kendall and Zach started back towards Main Street USA, encouraging everyone that dinnertime was fast approaching. Greenlee, though, would have none of it.

"There are still rides I want to go on," she told Kendall petulantly. "You go sit somewhere and take a breather. I'm going back to Fantasyland."

"You already _live_ in Fantasyland," Kendall smarted back.

"Bite me, Kendall." She looked down at Miranda. "You want to come with me, Sweet Pea?"

"No way!" Kendall exclaimed, turning Miranda's stroller away from Greenlee's grasp. "I'm not letting you run off with my niece."

"What do you think I'm going to do, you bean pole? Sell her off to the Seven Dwarfs as slave labor?" She threw her arms out wide. "We're at the 'happiest place on earth', European edition, you doof!" She looked at Miranda. "Come on, Mimo, let's see the sights."

"Oh, no, you don't!" Kendall retorted, still tugging the stroller away.

"What are you, her scheduler? Why don't you ask her what _she_ wants to do?"

"Oh, go eat a poisoned apple."

"Wanna go wif Gweenwee," Miranda said suddenly.

"Ha!" Greenlee exclaimed, pulling the stroller free of Kendall's hands. "We'll see you after we finish riding Dumbo." She started to move away. "And Peter Pan… and Critter Corral. And the carousel! And the train!"

Bianca watched them go and leaned over to Maggie. "Why do I get the distinct impression we just saw the last of our daughter for a while."

"Probably because I fully suspect Greenlee to lose her somewhere," Maggie sighed.

There was a momentary pause then Bianca spoke. "Maybe you better-…"

"Yeah, I'll go with them…"

Giving Bianca a quick peck on the lips, Maggie chased after Greenlee and Miranda. Bianca watched her go then turned toward her sister and brother-in-law.

"You know," Zach said suddenly, eyeing the look on Bianca's face. "You look like you could use a nice, cold lemonade. How does that sound? Good, I'll be right back." He kissed Kendall on the temple. "Stand fast, my love."

Kendall watched her husband rush off then turned to her sister. "What?"

Bianca quirked a single eyebrow at her sister. Kendall, for her part, had the decency to blush.

Shaking her head, Bianca accepted the glass of lemonade Zach thrust into her hands.

xxxxxxxxxx

Bianca sat quietly on the bench, enjoying the relative calm, watching as people rushed by on their way to the next ride or the next show or whatever. Zach and Kendall had gone off to ride the cars, leaving Bianca alone with her thoughts, and able to finally catch her breath after the non-stop day they'd had so far. Thinking back on all the things they'd managed to do, Bianca tipped her head back to the sun and smiled gently.

"Hey, Binks!" Kendall shouted, dragging Zach along by the hand.

At the exact same moment they arrived at her side, Def Leppard's _Pour Some Sugar on Me_ rolled forth from Bianca's cell phone. She blushed a violent shade of red.

Quickly flipping open the Razr to end the blaring ring-tone, she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Hey, Tiger… Okay, we're up near the entrance… Yeah, we'll wait here…" She quickly looked around. "Yeah, we're by the square… Okay… See you in a few… Love you, too…" Bianca cleared her throat self-consciously. "Maggie," she mumbled in explanation after closing the phone.

"Yeah, I kinda figured," Kendall replied. She grinned at her clearly uncomfortable sister. "Interesting ring-tone."

"Well, I let Maggie set it herself."

"Mm-hmm," Kendall said knowingly. "Yeah, well, you never explained why Greenlee's ring-tone is Jimi Hendrix. You know, _'Foxy Lady'_?"

Bianca crossed her arms and legs defensively as she sat on the bench. "Greenlee stole my phone one day. When I got it back, that was her ring-tone." She rolled her eyes. "She locked it, somehow," she muttered, "and I can't change it."

Kendall snorted. "Typical Greenlee. My ring-tone on her phone is _Cheeseburger in Paradise_…" Bianca laughed. "You think that's funny? She set hers on _my_ phone, too."

"And?"

Kendall gritted her teeth. "_You Light Up My Life_."

After a split second, both women burst out laughing. About the time they managed to contain themselves, Greenlee rushed up to them with Maggie on her heels and Miranda snug in her stroller.

"Hey, guys!" Greenlee chirped, throwing herself on the bench beside them. Almost instantly, the sisters broke out laughing again. Greenlee's forehead furrowed. "What's so funny?" Trying to contain herself, Bianca snorted, which sent Kendall into another giggling fit as she pointed at her baby sister. "Are you laughing at me?" Greenlee grumped, watching as everyone started towards the entrance of the park. She jumped off the bench and followed. "You're laughing at me, aren't you? Why? Do I have food on my face? That's it, isn't it? I have food on my face. I'll bet I've had food on my face all day and no one told me. Thanks a lot, guys." She wiped at her cheek. "Did I get it? Hey! Someone! Anyone! Come on, tell me!"

The others ignored her all the way to the restaurant.

xxxxxxx

Maggie had made arrangements for dinner at Walt's, a restaurant featuring the life and story of Walt Disney. Soon after they were seated, several guests arrived to join them, a special present to Miranda, courtesy of Maggie. Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Chip N' Dale entered the restaurant and came straight to the table, causing Miranda's eyes to widen in awe as her favorite characters pointed to her where she sat and came to bow at her side.

"Mickey!" the little girl squealed. "Minnie! Momma! Wook! Mickey an' Minnie!"

Bianca grinned at Maggie before turning back to Miranda. "I see, Sweetie, I see."

"Chip an' Day!"

Across the table, Greenlee squealed in Kendall's ear. "Lookit, Kendall! It's Mickey! And Minnie! It's Mickey and Minnie Mouse!" Suddenly, Greenlee paused, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Oh, that poor mouse, who picked out her wardrobe?"

Opening her mouth wide to try to clear her hearing, Kendall covered her ear with her hand. "What?"

"She needs some serious fashion sense."

"I can't- what?" Kendall watched Greenlee jump out of her chair, shoving Chip – or was it Dale? – aside on her path to Minnie. "Wait, Greenlee!"

"Oh, no," Maggie moaned, watching a determined Greenlee close in on Mrs. Mouse. "International Disney incident about to happen…"

Bianca looked up. "Kendall!"

"Okay," Kendall muttered. "Okay…"

By the time she had reached Greenlee's side, the hardsell was in full stride.

"You know, honey, those polka dots are so out right now. I think a nice Marc Jacob or BCBG original would really highlight your… um… cheekbones." Greenlee sighed and took Minnie's hand. "And those heels, yellow pumps are such a fashion 'don't'. Have you considered Jimmy Choo?" She glanced down at Minnie's mouse-feet. "Okay, you probably need something a little wider, but you get what I'm saying." She paused to consider for a moment. "Maybe Manolo makes a wide enough heel for you."

Minnie actually rolled her head, tossing Mickey a pleading glance. The tuxedoed mouse shrugged his shoulders, puffy white-gloved palms upward in a 'what're ya gonna do?' response, then turned back to Miranda. Minnie slapped a hand over her eyes.

Greenlee pulled out a pen from her purse. "Honey, here's my number," she said while quickly scribbling on a Buzz Lightyear notepad. "Come to Pine Valley and I'll give you the best makeover Fusion has to offer. On the house."

Kendall quickly took Greenlee by the shoulders, attempting to lead her away. "Greenlee, sweetie, come on, leave Minnie Mouse alone." She gave the giant mouse a sincere smile. "I'm so sorry, we left her meds back at the house."

Minnie just nodded and waved as they walked away. Greenlee turned and put her hand to her head, imitating a telephone. 'Call me', she mouthed, tossing Minnie a wink. Minnie just kept waving then used both hands to wave Greenlee off. Putting her hands to her large mouse head, she walked away, muttering Minnie Mousily to herself…

Bianca shook her head. "Wow, who's the 2-year old here? Miranda or Greenlee?"

"Apparently," Maggie whispered back, "from the looks of things, today it's Greenlee."

Miranda giggled with glee as Chip and Dale fussed over her, Mickey and Minnie sang 'Happy Birthday' to her and the entire restaurant enjoyed a piece of chocolate birthday cake. Bianca smiled at the way Maggie fussed over the little girl, making sure Miranda was aware of everything, that dozens of pictures were taken and that Miranda felt like the most privileged princess.

Which she was…

xxxxxxxxxx

After dinner, Miranda crashed out before they reached the car for the drive back to Paris, the adrenaline rush of her most spectacular day finally wearing off. Once she was settled into her car seat, they piled into the Volvo and started the trip home.

Maggie glanced at Greenlee after hearing her whimper a little under her breath. "Um, Greenlee?" she said. "You're starting to look like your name."

"Uuunnnhhh," Greenlee moaned, clutching at her stomach. "I don't feel so good."

"Don't throw up in the car!" Maggie, Kendall and Bianca all shouted simultaneously.

xxxxxxxxxx

Later that evening, Maggie found Zach in the den, a heavy crystal glass in his hand filled with about two fingers of a rich amber liquid. Kendall and Bianca were talking quietly in Miranda's room, Greenlee was moaning in pain in her room.

"Okay, _Unca Zap_," Maggie cracked. "I want to have a word with you."

Zach gave Maggie a look then saluted her with his glass. "Unless that word is 'cheers', I'm not interested," he replied before taking a healthy swallow, enjoying the warmth that burst through his belly.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Maggie railed, ignoring Zach completely.

"Excuse me?"

"You! You and that- that- that… RIDE!" Maggie's arms started flapping like a bird taking flight. "What were you thinking?"

Zach's forehead knotted. "Um, that I was in a small boat with my wife and no one else was around?"

"No! No! No!" She started pointing her finger at him. "I don't need you pretending that ride is fun! I don't need you acting all soft-hearted! And I certainly don't need you sitting in some tiny little plastic boat, all googly-eyed and sappy, nibbling on your wife's scrawny neck!" Using both hands to brush her hair back off her forehead in frustration, Maggie glared at Zach. "You're supposed to be on my side here, Zach, you know? We're supposed to be in this together."

Zach gave Maggie his inscrutable gaze. "We _are_ in this together," he assured her. Then he shook his head. "What, exactly, are we in?"

"It's you and me! Against the Kane women genes! We understand what the other is up against! We commiserate! We gloat! And, on occasion, we get drunk and regale each other with stories of how they love us and can't live without us." Then she shuddered. "And, honestly, I never want to think about you nibbling on your wife's scrawny neck."

Zach looked at Maggie for a long moment, his face an inscrutable mask. "Would you like to get drunk now and regale each other with stories?"

Maggie sighed. "Please."

Zach handed her a glass of Irish Whiskey. "So, how's your sex life?"

"Very good. How's yours?"

Zach choked on his mouthful of liquor, coughing up the fireball in his gut. "Okay, enough of the sex talk…"

"Hey, you asked."

"It was a rhetorical question."

"If you didn't want to know, you shouldn't have asked," Maggie mumbled into her glass.

"I'll try to remember that," Zach replied, his brow furrowed again.

Maggie cleared her throat. "So. You and Kendall, huh?"

"So, you and the young mother."

"Yep." Awkward silence descended on them. "So…"

"Yeah…"

Maggie sighed. "Zach?"

"Yes, Maggie?"

"How do we do it? How do we keep those two happy?"

Now Zach sighed. "I imagine we just keep doing what we're doing."

"Yeah?"

"And if that doesn't work, give them a credit card and get out of their way."

"Or in your case, give them a casino?"

Zach took another sip of his drink. "Do you know how hard it was keeping Kendall away from the craps tables?"

Maggie laughed. "Really?"

"Hoo, yes. And the woman has horrible luck, you know."

"Well, that may work in your case, but Bianca… she's different."

Zach's eyes narrowed. "How so?"

"Well, she's not as into materialistic things… That's one thing she didn't inherit from the great Erica Kane."

"Well, that makes you lucky." Relaxing, Zach propped his feet up on the coffee table, his glass settled on his flat stomach. "Damn lucky."

"Tell me about it." Maggie peered up at the big Irishman. "Do you ever feel unworthy of her?"

Zach sighed into his glass. "Every damn day."

Mimicking Zach's pose, Maggie sighed as she crossed her ankles. "Yep…"

"And it's worth every single minute."

"Hey, Zach?"

"Yeah?"

"You ever get that… funny feeling in the pit of your stomach when she smiles at you?"

"Yeah." He paused. "And it gets worse when she touches me."

"Yeah."

"And I- I forget to breathe sometimes… Like when she walks into a room and her eyes find me… it's like… my lungs… my lungs forget how to work."

"And my heart," Maggie murmured, picking up on Zach's thoughts. "It feels like it could burst out of my chest."

"And I'd stop staring if I could just remember how to blink…"

"And you suddenly understand Leonardo DiCaprio in _Titanic_ and that whole I'm the King of the World!-thing…" Slowly, Zach turned his head and eyed Maggie. She did a double take then sighed. "What? Too much?"

"Yes, just a bit."

Maggie sighed. "Yeah, a bit…"

Kendall and Bianca stood at the door, watching their significant others bonding, laughing over the tales they were telling, sipping whiskey and slowly getting a little drunk.

"You'd think they were watching Monday Night Football or something," Kendall commented. "The way they're bonding…"

Bianca looked at the two in the den then glanced at Kendall. "The minute they both stick a hand in their pants, I'm going in there."

Later that night, Maggie and Zach finally stumbled to their respective beds. Zach was snoring before his head actually hit the pillow, causing Kendall to groan and smack him in frustration.

Maggie was in slightly better shape. She climbed into bed next to Bianca and spooned up behind her, arms and legs wrapped around the brunette to hold her close. Every time she spoke, though, Bianca flinched from the liquor-breath washing over her. Just to shut her up, Bianca rolled over and planted her lips on Maggie's, tasting the dark smoky whiskey she'd imbibed. Before the kiss was over, Maggie was snoring…

Down the hall, Greenlee moaned in misery.

TBC-

Next: A Holiday in Venice


	13. Venice Vacation

Disclaimer – Keep this and all drugs out of the reach of children.

This chapter was written by the seat of my pants, no outline, just sitting down and writing… Okay, the seat of my pants did not write this because… well, typing would be a slow go, but I think you know what I mean…

Caution: One horrendously long flashback ahead…

Also, rating bumps up to PG-13 for sexual situations...

**Vacation  
All I ever wanted  
Vacation  
Had to get away  
Vacation  
Meant to be spent alone**

Go Go's - _Vacation_

Chapter 13 – Streets full of water. Please advise.

Venice, Italy

Piazza San Marco

April 2006

_Venice… like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs at one go. _

– Truman Capote

Maggie looked around in wonder. The sun shined down on world famous St. Mark's Square, warming them with its golden touch, people all around them chatted and laughed, pointed at the sites and took pictures. Maggie cradled her cappuccino in her hands and leaned into Bianca, watching Miranda giggling with glee as she fed the pigeons. They had purchased their coffees at Caffè Florian and found a bench to sit on, watching the world slowly, leisurely, go by.

"How did I get here?" she asked rhetorically. "Binks? How did we get here?"

To Maggie's right was the Campanile and the Doge's Palace. Right beside sat the Basilica di San Marco. In front of them was the Torre dell'Orologio, the famous Clock Tower. They had walked across the Bridge of Sighs, or the Ponte di Sospiri, taking a tour of the Doge's Palace after they left the Danieli Hotel. Following that, they ventured the Piazza to grab a breakfast in a nearby café. At her side was the love of her life, playing on the piazza a few feet in front of her was their daughter.

This was idyllic…

"How did we get here?" Bianca replied, shattering the romantic scene with her words. "Kenlee and Zendall… _that's_ how we got here…"

Paris, France

Early April, 2006

_Bianca entered the apartment, tossing her briefcase and purse aside, kicking off her shoes and loosening the belt on her jacket. Now that the fiscal quarter meeting was over, she had time to spend with Miranda. And since Maggie's mid-term break just started, there was time for them to get… reacquainted…_

_Entering the den, Bianca found Maggie on the sofa flipping through channels on the TV. Finally, she stopped on a hockey game._

"_Hey," Bianca said softly._

_Maggie looked up, grinning when she spotted Bianca standing in the doorway. "Hey, you! Did you just get home?"_

"_Yeah." She slid seductively onto the couch beside the blonde. " Where's Miranda?"_

_Maggie waggled her eyebrows. "Napping."_

"_Hmm, perfect," Bianca murmured, leaning in and covering Maggie's lips with her own._

"_Mmm…" Leaning back, Maggie pulled Bianca down with her, taking the kiss a little deeper, a little more sensual._

"_Hello, young mother-," Zach called out, walking into the room. "Oh, sorry, sorry…"_

_Bianca pulled back and they sat up. "It's alright, Zach," she assured him. "What's up?"_

"_Well, Kendall and I are going to go out for dinner. Miranda is still sleeping. You get to keep Greenlee."_

_Maggie rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks, Unca Zap."_

_Zach smiled, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "My pleasure, little watchdog." And he was gone._

"_What is it with him and those stupid little nicknames?" Maggie asked, getting all huffy. "Young mother… Your Highness… Little watchdog…"_

"_Oh, you know he is," Bianca replied, leaning close. "That's just Zach pretending to be all gruff and tough."_

_Maggie snorted. "Yeah, like he's so tough."_

_Bianca pushed Maggie back onto the sofa. "I don't want to talk about Zach anymore."_

"_Ooh, frisky. I like it…"_

_Nibbling at Maggie's lips, Bianca smiled. "You talk too much."_

"_That's what you keep telling me…"_

_Bianca sighed and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Maggie, you know I love you, but when are you going to learn how to shut up?"_

_Maggie grinned. "Sweetie, you're just not trying hard enough." Reaching up to take Bianca's face gently in her hands, Maggie drew her close. "If my lips are occupied, I won't be doing any talking."_

"_Mmm, good idea." _

_Kendall stuck her head in the room. "Hey, sex bunnies."_

_Bianca's forehead fell onto Maggie's shoulder. "What." It was a statement, not a question._

_"Zach and I are going out."_

_  
"Yes, we know."_

"_You do?"_

"_Yes, we do."_

"_How?"_

"_Zach told us."_

"_He did?"_

"_Yes, he did."_

"_Oh, okay." There was a long pause. "Okay, we're leaving now."_

_  
"Yeah, we heard you. Go. Go now."_

_Kendall rolled her eyes. "Yeesh, okay, we're going." She stood in the doorway for a long moment. _

"_Go!" Bianca and Maggie yelled together._

"_Okay! Jeez!" With a toss of her curly head, Kendall spun on her heel and stomped off. A moment later, the front door slammed._

_Maggie stretched out on the sofa, crossing her ankles and shoving a hand behind her head. "Okay," she said softly, pulling Bianca close with her free arm. "Now, you want to try again?"_

_Bianca moved onto her side between Maggie and the back of the sofa and rested her head in her hand, using her other hand to play with the gold chain around Maggie's neck. "You think it's safe?"_

"_Let's give it a try," Maggie murmured, pulling Bianca's head down to hers. Their lips were millimeters apart._

_The phone rang._

"_Oh, you have got to be kidding!" Bianca exclaimed, crawling over Maggie to grab the phone._

"_Oh, oof!" Maggie grunted, taking a hand in the gut from Bianca._

"_Hello!" Bianca practically snarled into the phone. "Oh, hello, Guylene. No, no, it's alright. What do you need?" With an apologetic look at Maggie, Bianca went to get her briefcase while talking softly to her assistant. "What were those figures...?"_

_With a sigh, Maggie pulled a pillow over her head and screamed._

_When Bianca returned, she shoved the phone under the cushions of the large chair in the corner, hoping to muffle any future ringing then stretched out next to Maggie once more. _

_Before their lips even touched, a giggling shriek filled the house, building in crescendo. Suddenly, Miranda raced into the den, Leo on her heels meowing excitedly as they made a mad dash through the room and back out the door. The child's thundering footsteps signaled their return to the second floor, followed by a slamming door._

"_What the hell was that!" Maggie exclaimed._

"_That," Bianca replied calmly, "was our daughter playing with the cat. Apparently she's no longer napping."_

"_This is getting to be ridiculous. I'm not sure I want to make out anymore."_

"_Oh, don't get your undies in a bunch, Stone."_

_Maggie's eyes went wide. "What did you just say?"_

"_I think you heard me."_

"_Bianca! When did you learn to talk like that? That- that- that's so un-Bianca like."_

_Bianca shoved Maggie down on the sofa and pinned her arms up over her head. "Why does everyone insist that I'm some kind of innocent?" she asked, leaning in to nibble on Maggie's throat._

_Maggie grinned. "Well, if anyone could see you like this, that image would be shattered…"_

_Suddenly, a cell phone began to chirp._

"_Unbelievable," Bianca muttered as she threw herself against the back of the couch._

_Maggie climbed to her feet and dug her Slvr out of her book bag, a sheepish look on her face. "Sorry, sorry," she grumbled, "Ah, damn," she said as she read the caller ID. "Hello?" she answered, pushing a lock of blonde highlighted hair behind her ear. "Hey, Cody… Yeah, I got them… you were there, what happened?... no way…well, I think Riordan's an ass anyway…" She pulled her notebook out of the bag and quickly flipped it open, turning pages until she found the desired notes. "Here, I got it… ready?... The cDNA clone was shown to involve a chimera between genomic DNA on Chromosome 6 and mitochondrial DNA…. The RFLP was localized in the mtDNA rather than the genomic DNA… yeah… okay… The RFLP is an Mspl restriction site at 15,925 base pairs of the complete mitochondrial genome in a gene that codes for the transfer RNA for threonine… The mitochondrial origin of the EST00083 RFLP explains why the RFLP is maternally transmitted and never yields heterozygotes… Yeah, EST00083."_

_Bianca just stared at Maggie, amazed at the words coming out of her mouth. The fact that Maggie understood them and Bianca didn't made Bianca feel incredibly stupid. __I could never do what she's doing__, Bianca thought to herself. __Of course, passing out at the sight of blood pretty much ended my medical career before it started, but still… She's amazing…_

_And suddenly, Bianca's frustration was wiped away and watching Maggie speaking medical-ese gave her a tingly feeling. __Oh, crap, listening to her talk like a doctor is turning me on…_

_A bit uncomfortable at this revelation, Bianca went to check on Miranda. Suddenly, she giggled, thinking about the future and how she might end up attacking Maggie every time she pulled out her prescription pad._

_After finding Miranda and Leo napping on the floor of the nursery, Bianca quietly tip-toed back downstairs to the den. Maggie had ended her phone call with Cody and was sitting patiently on the sofa, the remote in her hands once more. Walking up to the sofa with a purpose, Bianca took the remote from Maggie's suddenly lax fingers, pushed her back onto the sofa once more then slid up alongside her. Before either could utter a single word, Bianca covered Maggie's lips with her own. With a gentle moan, Maggie kissed her back._

"_Hey, guys!" Greenlee shouted sticking her head in the door. "I'm going to open a bottle of wine, okay?"_

_Bianca pulled back. "Get out!" she shouted._

_Greenlee started. "Whoa, someone's a little touchy."_

"_Someone would like to __get__ touchy," Maggie grumbled under her breath._

"_Greenlee-!"_

"_Okay, okay! I'm going!" She slammed the French door on her way out. "Jeez!"_

_Bianca took a deep breath and shoved a lock of hair behind her ear. Maggie slid her arms around Bianca's waist and gave her a squeeze._

"_Relax, Boom-Boom," she instructed. "Hey, look at me." Bianca slowly met Maggie's eyes. "There we are…" Reaching up, she kissed Bianca seductively. "Come on, Binks. Kiss me back."_

"_I love you, Mags."_

_Just as their lips met in a fiery kiss, Greenlee sauntered into the den, a bottle of wine in her hands, the corkscrew turned at a dangerous angle in the cork. "Hey, Maggie?" she whined. "Help me!"_

"_No!" Bianca shouted._

_Then the front door burst open and laughter floated down the hallway to them. Kendall and Zach appeared in the doorway. "We're back," Kendall announced unnecessarily._

"_Go away!" Bianca yelled. "Now!"_

"_Okay," Zach said, taking Kendall by the arm. "Maybe we should give the young mother a little space. You, too, Greenlee. Come on." He managed to corral them and lead them away._

_Bianca got off the couch. "That's it. I've had it."_

"_Binks?" Maggie called, sitting up and watching her girlfriend stomp out of the den. "Oh, shit…" She jumped to her feet and ran after the brunette._

_Striding with a purpose, Bianca marched across the living room. Stiff arming the kitchen door open, she barreled inside. Both Greenlee and Kendall jumped in alarm at the door banging off the wall. Then they all gaped at the extremely irritated young woman standing before them, nearly vibrating with anger._

"_Okay, that's it!" she exclaimed, fists planted determinedly on her hips. "Go home! All of you! GO!"_

"_But, Binks," Kendall sputtered. "It's Friday night…"_

"_I don't care! I'll call the Cambias pilot myself! I'll double his salary!" She paused. "Triple!" she exclaimed, a finger in the air to make her point._

_Zach cleared his throat then did so again when Bianca's gaze zeroed in on him. "It's alright, Young Mother," he said. "I'll move Kendall and myself to my suite at the Georges Cinq."_

"_And Greenlee?"_

"_What about Greenlee?" Maggie shouted at the same time._

"_Hey!" Greenlee exclaimed. "Nothing like giving someone a complex…"_

_Zach gave Bianca a little half smile, one side of his lips tipping upward. "Sorry, you're stuck with her."_

"_What?!"_

"_Oh, nonononono!" Maggie shouted, jumping to Bianca's side and waving her index finger back and forth. "No! She doesn't stay here."_

"_Jeez, guys, stop," Greenlee cracked. "You're making me feel all warm and fuzzy…"_

"_Besides, you know that old saying, three's a crowd?"_

"_Hey, same goes for us, shortcake!" Kendall exclaimed._

"_And you're not three," Zach added in his typically innocuous tone. "With Miranda, you're four."_

"_I cannot have two children in the house!" Bianca shouted above all the bickering voices._

"_Bianca-."_

"_Come on, Binks-."_

"_Jeez, make me feel wanted-."_

"_You won't leave?" Bianca asked, looking at everyone and nodding her head. "Fine! We'll go! Come on, Maggie, pack your bags."_

"_Whoa, Binks," Maggie whispered. "I like living here-."_

"_It's your birthday this month. I'm taking you on vacation. To- to- to- Venice! We're going to Venice! Ha!"_

"_Ooh, Venice," Kendall purred seductively, glancing at her husband._

"_No!" Bianca shouted. "I called Venice first! You go somewhere else!"_

"Remember now?"

Maggie sighed. "Oh, yeah…"

xxxxx

They had left Paris the next day, flown directly to Marco Polo Airport and taken a private water taxi across the Laguna Veneta to Venice. Miranda had giggled with glee the entire way, excited to be on a boat and watch the water rush by. Once they had arrived at the water taxi stand on the Riva degli Schiavoni, they were met by the concierge from the Danieli and ensconced in a posh suite reserved for Heads of State, world-famous celebrities and the Chairperson of the Board of Cambias Enterprises. The huge suite overlooking the Canale di San Marco and the gondola jetty came with all the amenities, including a nanny for Miranda if need be.

Bianca sipped her cappucino. "So... what do you want to do today?"

Maggie grinned. "Who the hell cares?"

"Come on, Maggie. We're here in Venice and there's so much to do."

"Okay, okay." She sipped her coffee and watched Miranda chase after a pigeon. "Let's go over to the Rialto and do some shopping."

"Okay." Bianca smiled at Miranda's antics. "Maybe we could do a gondola ride, too."

Sitting up, Maggie turned quickly to face Bianca. "Oh, that sounds like fun!" Then she got serious. "But not in the Grand Canal, it's too busy. We want something in the smaller canals."

Bianca's brow furrowed. "And you know this, how?"

"My God, woman," Maggie exclaimed, rising to her feet and grabbing Bianca's hand to pull her up as well. "When are you going to learn about this fascinating thing called the 'Internet'?!"

"Alright, alright," Bianca said, holding up her hands in surrender.

"Man, run a multi-billion dollar conglomerate and have absolutely no computer knowledge at all…"

"Okay, okay, I get the point."

Maggie went to Miranda's side. "Okay, Munchie, let's you and me take your computer brain-dead mommy around Venice."

"Hey, watch it, Stone."

Miranda giggled. "Bwain-dead!" she parroted.

"Hey," Bianca exclaimed, tickling Miranda on her belly. "Watch it, Munchie!"

"No, Momma!!" Miranda squealed, giggling and squirming in Maggie's arms. "No!! Noooooo!!"

Eventually, Bianca stopped and gave Miranda a chance to catch her breath before Maggie slipped her into her stroller.

"All done with the pigeons, Munchie?" Maggie asked.

"Yep."

"Okay. Off to the Rialto Bridge, then."

"Otay," Miranda parroted again.

They strolled the relatively short distance from St. Mark's Square to the Ponte di Rialto, taking time to window shop at the little stores along the Mercerie. At the Rialto Bridge, they shopped some more, a little at the shops that lined the bridge, a little at the outdoor markets on the other side of the Grand Canal. Miranda saw several souvenirs that caught her eye and Maggie made a couple of purchases at Diesel, which made Bianca pout.

"They're not Levi's," she grumped. Then she proceeded to purchase several purses at the Furla shop. When Maggie looked at her with a single cocked eyebrow, Bianca had the decency to blush. "Gifts," she muttered. "You know, for Kendall... and Greenlee..."

Maggie smiled, one side of her lips tipping upward. "And Bianca."

"Well... yeah..."

"Yeah."

They purchased some fresh fruit at the Campo San Giacomo di Rialto, snacking as they made their way through San Polo, taking in the sights and sounds on their journey. After arriving back in the San Marco area, they decided to grab a late lunch at Acqua Pazza, sharing a classic deep dish Neopolitan pizza. Miranda slept in her stroller while they ate on the terrace, worn out from missing her daily nap.

By late afternoon, Miranda was wide awake with her second wind, begging Maggie and Bianca for a gondola ride. After checking with the concierge at the hotel, a ride was arranged through the inner canals from the gondola jetty outside the hotel at the Riva degli Schiavoni.

The early evening began to cool and they wrapped themselves in the blankets provided after climbing aboard the gondola. The gondolier wore the traditional outfit, much to Miranda's delight, of black pants, black and white striped shirt with a bright red sash and the wide-brimmed straw hat. As they pushed off from the jetty and started out into the Canale di San Marco before turning into one of the narrow canals nearby, Maggie began to wish this was a more romantic endeavor. The thought of her and Bianca wrapped in a blanket and each other while a gondolier belted out _Con te Partirò_ was rather enticing. She would have to see about arranging something upon their return to the hotel.

They left the jetty and turned up the Rio Canonica o Palazzo, slipping silently beneath Ponti della Paglia on their way to the Ponti di Sospiri, or the famously named Bridge of Sighs. The canal was relatively quiet as most Venetians had already arrived home for the evening, only a few boats oncoming or passing them as they floated along.

The gondolier gave them a wonderful narrative of the area, the churches they passed, the history of the buildings and bridges, singing softly every now and then. Maggie slid her arm around Bianca's shoulders and pulled her close, Miranda nestled snugly between them.

Eventually, though, Miranda became mesmerized by the water. And by any living things possibly swimming below the canal's smooth surface.

"Wook, Momma, fishy!" Miranda exclaimed, pointing off the side of the gondola. She tried to escape from between under the blanket between her parents. "'Aggie! Fishy!"

"We see, sweetie," Bianca replied, trying to wrangle in her daughter. "Be careful, you need to sit still."

"Wanna see!"

"Miranda!" Maggie exclaimed as the little girl crawled out from under the blanket and over her lap to the side of the boat.

"Fishy, 'Aggie!"

"Whoa!" Maggie shouted, catching hold of Miranda just as she tried to pitch herself against the edge of the gondola. "Take it easy, Munchie, you'll see plenty of fish today."

"Wanna see!" Miranda squealed, wriggling out of Maggie's arms. "'Aggie! Wanna see!"

Through all of this, the gondolier was still in the midst of his spiel. "Il ponticello che vedete avanti è stato costruito," he was saying.

_**SPLASH!**_

"Miranda!" Bianca screamed.

"Munchie!" Maggie exclaimed.

"Oh, il mio dio!" the gondolier shouted.

The gondola erupted in a flurry of activity, bodies scrambling, blankets flying. The gondolier was stunned motionless, unsure of what to do. This had certainly never happened on one of his gondolas before. Ever. Americans!

"MIRANDA!" Bianca yelled, the fear in her voice palpable. "Oh, my baby!"

"Oh, il mio dio," the gondolier whispered. "Oh, il mio dio, oh, il mio dio, oh, il mio dio, oh, il mio dio…"

"Okay, _that's_ a little annoying," Maggie muttered under her breath as she tossed aside the blanket. "Nice dive, Munchie…"

The dark little head popped up out of the water and brown eyes searched out her parents.

"Miranda!!" Bianca exclaimed. "Oh, baby!"

"It's okay, just remain calm." Maggie quickly crawled to the side of the gondola, seeing Miranda just a foot or two away, floating calmly in the canal.

"Calm?" Bianca shrieked, still trying in vain to untangle her legs from the blanket. "You want me to remain CALM?! MAGGIE!!"

The boat rocked ominously.

"Oh, il mio dio!" the gondolier exclaimed, crouched down a bit with arms spread out to maintain his balance and keep the boat from rocking further. "Là!" he shouted, pointing at the baby. "Là! Ottengala!"

"MAGGIE!" Bianca screamed again, edging just past frantic into a headlong dive toward hysterical.

Maggie held up a hand. "Binks, she's right there. You need to calm down or you're going to send me overboard right after her."

"GET. MIRANDA. NOW!!" Bianca pointed at the canal. "_NOW_, MAGGIE!"

"You know, you're really unattractive to me right now."

"MAGGIE, NOW!" the brunette shouted, still pointing frantically at their child bobbing in the water. "MAG-!"

"Alright!" Maggie shouted back. "Come here, Munchie."

Reaching over the side of the gondola, Maggie fished the child out of the murky, smelly water. Grabbing hold of Maggie's hair, Miranda began to giggle incessantly.

"'Gin!" she shrieked in laughter. "'Gin!"

"Miranda!" Bianca exclaimed, scrambling to Maggie's side, causing the gondola to tip precariously and nearly pitching them all into the water. "Oh, Munchie! Are you okay?"

"Oh, il mio dio!"

"'Gin, Momma! Wanna go 'gin!"

Maggie tried to suppress her grin. "Um, Bianca? I think she wants to take another dip."

Bianca almost fell onto her back, clutching her chest and hauling in great gulps of air. "Oh, my God! She scared the crap outta me!"

The gondolier looked on in shock. "Siete giusti?" he asked repeatedly. "Siete giusti?" He looked at Maggie, concern etched on his face. "È giusta?" he asked. "Signorina?"

Maggie looked up. "Fine, fine, she's fine… uh, um… è benissimo. Grazie, grazie…"

"Oh, ringrazia il dio," he sighed in abject relief, a hand over his heart. "Ed il bambina? È bene inoltre? Bambina okay?"

Maggie did a double take. "Si, si, il bambina bene… okay. Uh, bambina is okay."

Bianca sighed heavily, her heart rate finally slowing. "What was that look for?" she asked Maggie.

Drying Miranda off with the blanket, Maggie tried hard to hide her smile and couldn't. "He was asking if _you_ were okay. He was more concerned about _you_ than Miranda. I think he thought you were having a heart attack."

"I think I was, too…"

"Thank God for those little tykes swim lessons, huh?"

Miranda looked up at Maggie, her little teeth chattering a bit. "F-f-f-fishy g-g-g-gone, 'Aggie."

Maggie grinned. "Well, sweetie, I think you landing on him may have scared him away."

Bianca knelt beside Maggie, wiping wet strands of hair off Miranda's forehead. "Okay…" she sighed.

"Are we done here?" Maggie asked deadpan.

"Oh, yeah, we're done," Bianca replied before the blonde had completed her sentence.

Maggie grinned at the little girl in her arms. "We gotta take you back to the hotel and get you dried off, okay?"

"O-o-t-t-tay , 'Aggie."

"Nice dive, though. Good form."

"Maggie!" Bianca admonished.

"Sorry." She looked up at the ashen-faced gondolier. "Grazie, ora andiamo indietro, per favore."

"Sì, sì, subito," he replied, bobbing his head in agreement.

"Grazie."

"Nessun problema."

Bianca put a hand to her forehead. "I am so glad you remember how to talk to him," she muttered. "Every word of Italian I know just flew out of my head."

"Are you kidding me? I have no idea what the hell I just said."

They both sat back again, pulling the blanket up tighter on Miranda. Suddenly, they both sighed.

"Maggie?"

"Yeah?"

"My mother will _never_ find out about this." Pause. "Will she."

Maggie snorted. "Not from me she won't."

"Good."

xxxxx

Back at the gondola jetty, a hotel bellboy was waiting with warm blankets to wrap around the little girl when they arrived. Carrying Miranda across the huge marble lobby, Maggie led the way up the stairs to the suite.

Once inside, Bianca hurried into the bathroom and started a warm bath while Maggie began undressing the toddler.

"N-n-n-no b-b-b-baf, 'Aggie," she chattered, obviously still cold from her quick swim. "O-o-t-t-ay?"

"Oh, Munchie," Maggie replied as she peeled wet clothes off the chilled child. "Sorry, but you need to get warm. It won't be long, I promise."

"Pwomise?"

"Promise."

"O-o-t-tay..."

After a warming bath, Miranda quickly fell asleep, curled up in the ornate crib furnished by the hotel, completely worn out from her exciting adventure on the canals of Venice. Bianca pressed a gentle kiss to the baby's forehead then went back out into the sitting room. She settled onto the sofa next to Maggie, accepting the glass of wine being held out to her.

"How are you doing?" Maggie asked, looking at her closely.

Bianca sighed heavily. "Whew..."

Maggie grinned as she sipped her wine. "Yeah."

"You were so calm, Maggie," Bianca said, pushing her hair off her forehead, before slipping a lock behind her ear. She leaned her elbow on the back of the sofa, rested her head against her closed fist. "I'm completely freaking out and you were so in control."

Maggie shrugged uncomfortably under the praise. "One of us had to be."

"You know, I already knew this, but you're going to make a great doctor."

"Why? Because I didn't go apeshit when our daughter fell off a boat?"

Bianca smacked Maggie on the arm. "Because you kept your head in a crisis. Doctors have to be able to do that and you did."

"I had to keep my head, Bianca, because you were completely worthless."

"Yeah, I'm well aware of that," Bianca muttered with a roll of her eyes. Suddenly, she began laughing and couldn't stop. "I'm so sorry, Maggie!" she laughed. "I completely flipped out and made you handle it."

Maggie watched her girlfriend laugh so hard she was practically in tears. "It's okay, Bianca. Really now, you're starting to freak me out a little."

Falling against Maggie, Bianca tried to slow her laughter. "Sorry, sorry."

"It's alright," Maggie replied again, her eyebrows knitted a little worriedly. She quickly set her wineglass down. "Come on, you need some fresh air."

"We can't, Maggie. Miranda's sleeping."

Pulling Bianca to her feet, Maggie went to the phone. "That's why they have the nanny here, Binks. So we can get away for a while." She picked up the phone and called the concierge. "Ciao, questo è suite di Montgomery."

"Si, Signorina Stone."

Maggie was impressed, they actually recognized her voice at the desk. "Um, possiamo ottenere un nanny, uh, prego?"

"Ah, si, Signorina. We can have a nanny sent right up to you."

"Oh, great, you speak English. We'd appreciate it, thank you. Grazie molto."

"Il nostro piacere, Signorina Stone."

"Grazie. Ciao." Maggie hung up the phone and turned to Bianca, slipping her arms around the brunette's waist. "See? We've got a nanny coming up to watch the Munchkin and we can go out and see the sights a little. Maybe have a Bellini at Harry's Bar… or a glass of wine or a drink somewhere."

Bianca smiled, settling her hands on Maggie's shoulders. "That sounds wonderful, now that you mention it."

"I know…"

"You know, listening to you speak Italian really kinda… turns me on…"

"Really?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah."

Maggie appeared to think about it. "Ciao," she said, making Bianca laugh. "Ciao, bella."

"Oh, stop, Maggie," Bianca joked. "You're turning me on."

"Bacilo, il mio amore," Maggie whispered huskily.

They looked in each other's eyes and smiled, the air around them suddenly thickening with desire. Maggie's eyes dropped to Bianca's lips and she grinned when her direct gaze was rewarded with Bianca quickly licking her suddenly dry lips. Her hands a gentle pressure on Bianca's back, Maggie urged the brunette closer, reaching up to capture her lips in a warm, tender kiss. Just as Bianca was returning the kiss, deepening it, there was a knock at the door.

Maggie pulled back. "I think this was the reason we lit out of Paris," she said with a little grin. "No chance to get busy."

Bianca laughed. "Trust me, Tiger, things will work out. I promise."

With one last quick kiss, Maggie released Bianca and went to the door, allowing the nanny to enter. After a few quick instructions, they hurried out of the hotel hand in hand and out to the waterfront.

They stopped at Harry's Bar and had a fresh peach Bellini at the bar where the drink was invented and was Hemingway's favorite watering hole. From there, they strolled hand-in-hand through the San Marco area of Venice, along narrow walkways or sidewalks along a canal, soaking up the atmosphere of old world Venezia.

The sound of the water lapping up against the barber-pole striped pilings, laughing Italian floating out open windows, soft light dancing on the brick walls above their heads, the stars shining down on them from overhead was truly magical. Once again, Maggie was awe-struck, wondering on more time how the hell the poor little urchin from Green Bay managed to end up in one of the most fascinating cities in the world, with someone as beautiful and incredible as Bianca at her side.

As they walked along, strains of piano music could be heard. Nearing the La Fenice opera house, the music grew louder, until they came upon the entrance to Martini Scala Piano bar underneath an ornate stone staircase. The sidewalk was relatively quiet as music began to play again.

It sounded curiously like the American hit _Home_ by Michael Bublé.

"Will you dance with me?" Bianca whispered.

Turning to Bianca, Maggie smiled. "I'd love to," she replied, as they stepped easily into each others arms. Slowly, they swayed to the music, holding each other close, cheek pressed to cheek.

Bianca nuzzled her nose into Maggie's hair as they continued to dance, hearing Maggie's wonderful voice in her ear, singing the words along with Michael, serenading Bianca while they moved to the music.

"_Another winter day has come and gone away_," Maggie sang softly. "_In either Paris or Rome and I wanna go home. Let me go home."_ They swayed back and forth, oblivious to the few people who passed them by and smiled at their dance._ "And I'm surrounded by a million people, I still feel alone. Oh, let me go home. Oh, I miss you, you know…_"

Bianca felt tears sting her eyes as she listened to Maggie sing to her, dancing beneath the star-filled sky on a small piazza in Venice on a beautiful spring night.

Oh, yeah, Maggie was getting so lucky later...

After stopping for a glass of Prosecco at Café Chioggia on St. Mark's Square, they returned to the room some time after midnight to find Miranda still nestled in the crib and sleeping soundly. The nanny bade them good night and, with a hefty wad of Euros in her hand as a tip, slipped out of the room.

"Would you like something from room service?" Bianca asked, watching Maggie dig a bottle of water out of the small fridge by the bar.

"Sure." She gave Bianca a sly grin. "I'm going to go slip into something more comfortable."

Bianca's heart skipped a beat. Apparently, _she_ was going to be getting lucky, too.

After quickly ordering from room service, Bianca dimmed the sitting room lights and turned on the stereo, finding some soft jazz. She opened the curtains on the windows a bit, dipping the room in a silvery glow, gasping once again at the spectacular view of the canal outside and the moonlight sparkling and dancing on the dark water.

A gentle finger pushed some hair off her neck, replaced immediately by warm, soft lips. She tipped her head to the side, allowing Maggie better access, sighing when strong, slender arms slid around her waist.

"Beautiful view, isn't it?" Bianca whispered.

"Mm, I wouldn't know," Maggie replied softly. "I can't take my eyes off you."

Bianca grinned. "You don't have to lay it on so thick, Tiger. You're going to get some action tonight." Turning in Maggie's arms, Bianca saw she was dressed only in one of the hotel supplied robes and it was a pretty good bet that was all she had on.

"What?" Maggie asked innocently. "I'm just being honest."

"Yeah, right."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Maggie gave Bianca a quick kiss then pulled back. "That's probably room service. Why don't you go change and I'll get the door."

"Alright." She planted a hard kiss on Maggie before skipping off to the bedroom. "Don't start without me!"

Maggie grinned as she headed for the door. "Not a chance," she murmured, opening the door.

"Buona sera," the bellboy greeted, pushing the room service cart into the room. "Sono Giani.

"Buona sera," Maggie replied, beginning to enjoy her new-found language skills.

"Would you like me to set up?" he asked.

Maggie thought about it for a moment. "No, that's okay, thanks."

"Il mio piacere," he replied. He handed Maggie the bill, which she signed and added a generous tip. He bowed slightly as he opened the door. "Buona sera, Signorina Stone. Have a good evening."

"Grazie, Giani." She slipped the _'Non essere disturbato'_ sign over the doorknob, then closed and locked the door. She started taking the lids off the plates of food.

She laughed. Cheeseburgers and french fries, diet colas and a bowl of fresh berries with whipped cream.

Bianca returned moments later, dressed exactly as Maggie was. "Hey."

"Hey. Dinner is served."

"Mmm, good. I've been dying for a really good burger and fries."

Maggie put a plate in Bianca's hands. "Enjoy."

They ate their distinctively American meals in relative silence, stopping only occasionally to take a sip of cola, or steal something from the other's plate. Bianca slapped Maggie's hand again after she attempted to lift another fry from the edge of the beautiful china plate.

"Ow!" Maggie exclaimed, rubbing her stinging hand. "What was that for?"

"Trying to steal my fries. If you hadn't vacuumed yours up like a Hoover you would still have some to snack on."

"I'm trying to help you finish your dinner."

Bianca chuckled. "Really?"

"Yeah, because once you clean your plate, we can have…," Maggie waggled her eyebrows and motioned with her head to the room service cart and the bowl of fresh berries, "dessert…"

Bianca quickly shoved a bite of cheeseburger into her mouth and set her plate on the coffee table. "Done," she mumbled around the food.

"Oh, that's very sexy," Maggie deadpanned. "Really, that _so_ turns me on..."

Chewing quickly then swallowing, Bianca grinned. "Better?"

Maggie was silent for a long time. "Sure."

"Don't get all self-righteous on me, Maggie. I've had to deal with you forgetting to throw away your gum too many times."

"What? It was an accident!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Maggie reached for the bowl of fresh berries on the table and scooted closer to Bianca. "Forget about it, okay?" She picked up a plump strawberry and held it to Bianca's lips. "Eat."

Taking a bite of the ripe fruit, Bianca smiled at Maggie. A juice glistened on Bianca's lower lip and Maggie's eyes zeroed in on the sweet nectar, pupils dilating with desire. Putting the remains of the strawberry aside, she leaned over Bianca, pushing her back onto the sofa.

"So," she whispered, kissing away the moisture on Bianca's lips. "Venice."

Bianca smiled against Maggie's mouth. "Venice."

"You realize, of course, that we've started a trend here."

"What trend?"

Kissing Bianca again, Maggie's lips clung moistly for a moment before she pulled back. "I've decided we're going to have to make love in every romantic city in Europe."

Bianca chuckled. "Don't expect an argument from me on that, Tiger."

With a grin, Maggie reached for the tie on Bianca's robe and she slowly set about kissing every inch of alabaster flesh as it was newly exposed, raising goose bumps in her wake. Finally, she moved up again, smiling down at Bianca before her lips covered Bianca's once more. Slowly gliding upward, Maggie's hands slipped into Bianca's hair and she held on tight, not wanting to let go for anything. The kiss exploded in desire and Maggie felt Bianca reach for the tie on her own robe.

Her lips sliding to Bianca's throat, Maggie nuzzled deeply into her neck, touching the tip of her tongue to the pulse point throbbing just beneath the porcelain skin. After a long moment, she pulled back and their eyes met, silently conveying the emotions they were feeling for each other. With a tender smile, Maggie dipped her head. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, caressing then parting, tongues mating and dancing. Maggie reached up and took Bianca's face in her hands, pulling her closer, kissing her deeper. Bianca's hands found Maggie's hips, slipped around her waist and pulled the slight body against her own. The kiss continued, a passionate, warm melding of lips and tongues.

Maggie let her hand slip to Bianca's shoulder, then glide its way down her arm, fingertips leaving goose bumps in their wake. Their fingers laced together instinctively and they gripped each others hand tightly as they made love.

As time slowly, lovingly, passed, they made love again and again. Taking her time, Maggie worshiped Bianca, touching, caressing, kissing, breathing in every inch of her. It amazed Maggie that she could never seem to get enough. She had always enjoyed sex before, but now it was as if she was addicted to the sensation of touching Bianca, of kissing her. The feel of her mouth, the taste of her lips. It was unlike anything she had ever known or experienced before in her life.

"I love you, Maggie," Bianca whispered breathily in her ear. "I love you."

Cradling Bianca's head in her hands, Maggie leaned down and captured her mouth in a gentle kiss. "I love you, too, Bianca," she murmured huskily. Slowly, she slid her lips to Bianca's throat, nuzzling the warm skin, once again kissing the throbbing pulse beating there. Bianca slipped her fingers through Maggie's hair, brushing the warm golden locks behind her ears. She held Maggie in place, enjoying the warm, wet kisses being bestowed upon her neck.

Suddenly, Bianca took control and reversed their position, pinning Maggie to the sofa, her hands gripping Maggie's wrists. She leaned close, her lips barely brushing against the sweetness of Maggie's mouth. Slowly, deliberately, she ran her fingers through Maggie's hair, her eyes lighting up as she watched blonde streaked locks cascading back over Maggie's shoulders. With an attentiveness that was awe-inspiring, Bianca made love to Maggie, showering adoration on every stretch of warm, tanned, smooth skin that appeared before her.

With a gentle tug, Maggie pulled Bianca's head up to look in her eyes. She cradled that beloved face in her hands. Their eyes met, locked. Love flowed deeply between them. Maggie grinned once more.

"You're gorgeous, Bianca," she said softly. "I don't think I've told you that enough. Wars are fought over beauty like yours."

Tears glistened in Bianca's eyes at Maggie's words. "I don't know what I did to deserve you," she whispered. "But I'm never letting you go."

Maggie laughed. "Good, because I won't let you."

Kissing Maggie deeply, Bianca made love to her again. Late into the night, Maggie returned the favor. Dawn was just beginning to creep into their secluded, blissful world when, exhausted and sated, they finally fell asleep.

"Momma!" Miranda called out from the other room. "Momma! 'Aggie! Mommamommamomma!!"

Maggie rolled over, pulling one of the two discarded robes they had worn last night up to her shoulders, and nuzzling as close to Bianca as she could possibly get, which was pretty close considering they were still sleeping on the sitting room sofa. "It's for you," she mumbled.

"I heard her say your name, too…"

"I think my legs are numb…"

"Any excuse you can come up with," Bianca huffed then shifted to get up. "Oh, crap, mine, too…"

Maggie pushed herself up onto an elbow, reaching up a finger to brush a lock of hair off Bianca's cheek. "So, now what? Seriously, I can't feel my feet."

"Tell you what, Tiger," Bianca purred seductively. "If you can get moving, I'll try to get Miranda to settle down for a few minutes and then I'll meet you in the shower."

Maggie threw the robes aside and jumped off the sofa. "I'll start the water," she said, rushing towards the huge bathroom in the master suite.

"Yeah, I figured that'd get you moving," Bianca murmured to herself as she got up to attend to her daughter.

Sadly, Miranda would have none of the coaxing from Bianca to lay down for a little longer, so Maggie's shower time ended up being with the little girl, getting her clean for the day ahead.

xxxx

They spent the day on the island of Murano, buying several beautiful pieces of Murano glass at Fratelli Barbini to be shipped home after touring the studio, and then on the Lido, enjoying the beaches and the water, watching Miranda play in the sun. They stopped for a gelato after taking a water taxi back to Venice proper then had an incredible meal Osteria da Fiore before returning to the hotel.

"Don't get undressed!" Maggie shouted at Bianca as she started for the master suite.

Bianca looked surprised. "I swear, Maggie, I think that's the only time I have ever heard you tell me to _not_ get naked!"

Maggie put a sleeping Miranda down in her crib then returned to Bianca's side. "First of all… haha, not funny. Second, I have a nanny coming up in a few moments because I have something special planned for us."

"Oh?" Bianca asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Yeah," Maggie replied with a secretive grin. "You'll love it, trust me."

xxxx

"Oh, no!" Bianca shouted later as they stood at a gondola jetty, waving a finger back and forth at Maggie. "You are not getting me back in one of those things! Not after the last time!"

TBC – Venice, continued…

Very Loose translations:

"Il ponticello che vedete avanti è stato costruito-" - "The bridge you see before you was built-"

"Siete giusti?" – "Are you right?"

"È giusta?" – "Is it right?"

"Oh, il mio dio!" – "Oh, my God!"

"Oh, il mio dio, oh, il mio dio, oh, il mio dio, oh, il mio dio, oh, il mio dio!" - "Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God!"

"Là! Ottengala!" – "There! Get her!"

"Oh, ringrazia il dio!" – "Oh, thank the Lord!"

"Ed il bambino? È bene inoltre?" - "And the baby? She is well also?"

"Grazie, ora andiamo indietro, per favore." - "Thank you, we go back now, please."

"Sì, sì, subito" – "Yes, yes, right away."

"Nessun problema." – "No problem"

"Possiamo ottenere un nanny, prego?" - "We can obtain a nanny, I pray?"

"Grazie molto." – "Thanks a lot."

"Il nostro piacere." – "Our pleasure."

"Bacilo, il mio amore." – "Kiss me, my love."

"Il mio piacere." - "My pleasure."

"Non essere disturbato." – "Not to be disturbed."

Taken from the paper; _A polymorphism in mitochondrial DNA associated with IQ?_

by Patricia Skuder, Robert Plomin, Gerald E. McClearn, Deborah L. Smith and Sylvia Vignetti,Michael J. Chorney, Karen Chorney and Steven Kasarda, Lee A. Thompson, Douglas K. Detterman and Stephen A. Petrill, Johanna Daniels, Michael J. Owen and Peter McGuffin

If you've never heard the song _Home_ by Michael Bublé, I highly suggest downloading it. It's a wonderful love song.


	14. Of Gondola's and Easy Bake Ovens

Disclaimer- Not the Beatles

Well, I've written a couple of chapters without an outline and I fear they have suffered in quality for it. I promise to get back on track with the next chapter and attempt to return to a better quality product…

And I apologize if my lack of regular updates has caused anyone to lose interest in this story. It is my intention for this particular incarnation of Bianca and Maggie to continue for a while longer, while I finish outlining the two new stories I have planned. Even though I'm not very structured with this story, I love it too much to let it go…

A little fun here, a lot of Kenlee… enjoy…

**Every little thing she does is magic**

**Everything she do just turns me on**

**Even though my life before was tragic**

**Now I know my love for her goes on **

The Police - _Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic_

Chapter 14

Venice, Italy

April, 2006

"Oh, no!" Bianca shouted later as they stood at a gondola jetty, waving a finger back and forth at Maggie. "You are not getting me back in one of those things! Not after the last time!"

Maggie took Bianca's hands. "It'll be okay this time, I promise."

Bianca tried to back away, tugging her hands from Maggie's grasp. "No, Maggie. Come on…"

"Binks, look at me. I promise that nothing will happen. There is not a fish in the world that can entice me in for a closer look and knock me overboard." Bianca gave her a look, her eyebrows knotting together in doubt. Maggie put her hand to her chest. "I promise."

"Okay," Bianca sighed. "But don't come running to me if you fall into a canal."

Maggie gave Bianca a look. "Um, okay."

"Oh, you know what I mean!"

"Come on, Boom Boom. Let's take a ride."

Bianca lowered her head then glanced at Maggie coyly through her eyelashes. She eyed the gondola for a moment before turning to Maggie once again. Suddenly, the idea of taking a romantic ride on a gondola with Maggie was extremely appealing. The evening temperature had dipped into the 50's, the sun was sinking into the Adriatic Sea and stars were starting to twinkle in the sky. Cuddling up under a blanket, holding Maggie in her arms… yeah, Bianca could do that.

"Oh, alright," she acquiesced.

That beloved lopsided Stone grin lit up Maggie's face. "Alright," she replied, taking Bianca's hand and leading her to the boat.

Tossing a wink at the gondolier as she helped Bianca in, Maggie got them settled onto the red leather seat, throwing a soft blanket over their legs.

After pushing off from the pilings, the gondolier steered away from the Grand Canal into a smaller one, guiding them deep into the heart of Venice. Maggie took Bianca's arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, nestling close to Bianca's side. She kissed Bianca's hand and laced their fingers together as Bianca pulled her arm tight around Maggie's body.

The sky turned to a gentle gold with hints of rose as the sun sank deeper into the sea behind them. Bianca looked up between the buildings and saw a lone star in the darkening velvet of the sky.

"Star light, star bright," she murmured softly. "I wish I may, I wish I might…"

Maggie nuzzled closer. "Have the wish I wish tonight," she finished.

There was silence for a moment then Bianca brushed a kiss on Maggie's forehead. "Well? Did you make a wish?"

"Nah," Maggie replied with a giggle. "Mine have all come true already."

Smiling, Bianca pressed her lips again to Maggie's forehead. "Mine, too."

The gondolier pushed the boat up a calm canal, Palazzo del Priuli lying just to their right, serene in the fading light of evening. Then the gondolier began to sing, his clear tenor sparkling in the air.

_**Quando sono solo  
sogno all'orizzonte  
e mancan le parole,  
Si lo so che non c'è luce  
in una stanza quando manca il sole,  
se non ci sei tu con me, con me.  
Su le finestre  
mostra a tutti il mio cuore  
che hai acceso ,chiudi dentro mela luce che  
hai incontrato per strada.**_

"I love this song," Maggie murmured. "Do you know it's not _Time to Say Good Bye_?"

Bianca glanced down at her. "What do you mean?"

"That's not what the song means. It's actually _I'll Go With You_." She looked up into Bianca's eyes. "It means going wherever you go and seeing the world with you."

"I'd go anywhere with you, Maggie."

"I know. I'd go with you, too."

_**Con te partirò.  
Paesi che non ho mai  
veduto e vissuto con te,  
adesso si li vivrò,  
Con te partirò  
su navi per mari  
che, io lo so,  
no, no, non esistono più,  
con te io li vivrò.**_

_**Quando sei lontana  
sogno all'orizzonte  
e mancan le parole,  
e io sì lo so  
che sei con me,  
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me,  
mio sole tu sei qui con me,  
con me, con me, con me.  
**_

They cuddled closer together as the gondolier sang, pushing the gondola effortlessly down the smooth-as-glass canal. His voice became stronger as they floated along, giving Maggie goose bumps as she nestled closer in Bianca's arms.

Bianca wrapped both arms around Maggie and held her close, relishing the feel of warm skin against her cheek where Maggie's forehead rested. Maggie let her hand fall to Bianca's knee as she titled her head to press a kiss against the smooth neck she was nestled into.

With a gentle touch, Bianca slipped a finger beneath Maggie's chin, tilting the young blonde's eyes up towards hers.

"Happy birthday, Maggie."

Maggie grinned. "Oh, yeah, that's why we're here, isn't it?"

Bianca matched her grin. "That's one reason."

"Thanks for the great birthday present, Bianca. It's incredible to be here with you and Miranda." They fell silent, just gazing lovingly into each others eyes. "Hey, Binks?"

"Yeah?"

"You gonna kiss me or you just gonna sit there?"

Chuckling, Bianca dipped her head and captured Maggie's lips with her own. It didn't take Maggie long to return the kiss, her hand sneaking up to gently cradle Bianca's cheek.

_**Con te partirò.  
Paesi che non ho mai  
veduto e vissuto con te,  
adesso si li rivivrò.  
Con te partirò  
su navi per mari  
che, io lo so,  
no, no, non esistono più, **_

_**con te io li rivivrò.  
Con te partirò**_

_**su navi per mari  
che, io lo so,  
no, no, non esistono più,  
con te io li rivivrò.  
Con te partirò.  
Io con te.**_

They glided silently under a classical Venetian bridge as the last notes of the gondolier's voice danced away in the evening air, their lips still pressed sweetly together.

The rest of the ride was a blur to them both. They somehow made their way back to the suite, collapsing together onto the king sized bed and spending the rest of the night showing each other the extent of their love and affection.

xxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, back in Paris…

"Stop it."

"_You_ stop it."

"You stop it first."

"No, _you_ stop it first."

"_Both _of you stop it!" Zach roared, his last nerve finally shredded beyond repair.

Kendall and Greenlee jerked still, spines straight as arrows, eyes as large as saucers. Greenlee made a face at Kendall, motioning with her head toward Zach. Kendall shrugged imperceptibly, shocked by the explosive non-Zach-like behavior.

Leo padded up to Zach's side and leapt into his lap, curling up and eying the women on the other side of the room. They were much louder with his Master gone. If he could, he would bite them both on the butt to shut them up.

Sadly, they were never close enough for him to accomplish his desire. He narrowed his little cat eyes and just contented himself with glaring at them.

He couldn't wait for his Master to come home, he really missed her.

xxxxxxx

Back in Venice...

Bianca woke early the next morning, unsure what had roused her from such a contented sleep, but awake just the same. She slipped quietly out of the tousled king sized bed and went to the nursery to check on Miranda. The little girl was still sleeping soundly so, after a gentle kiss on the forehead, Bianca returned to the master suite.

The scene that awaited her took her breath away. Sun streamed in the bedroom window, glinting off the lagoon just outside the hotel and drenching the room in its warm golden glow. It spilled across the bed where Maggie slept, her tan limbs and blonde hair in contrast to the snow white sheets. Bare skin peeked out here and there, a silken leg thrown over the sheet, a burnished shoulder beneath love-tossed hair, the gently curving back with a swath of linen tossed carelessly across the perfect behind it gracefully melded into.

Tossing aside her robe, Bianca slipped back into bed, sliding up behind Maggie and slipping her arms around the sleeping blonde, smiling at the feel of warm, smooth skin against her own. Maggie mumbled sleepily as she snuggled back into Bianca's embrace, purring sensually when Bianca pressed a kiss to her sun-warmed shoulder.

"Morning," Maggie whispered.

"Shh," Bianca replied. "Go back to sleep."

"M'kay." Slipping her hand into Bianca's and lacing their fingers, Maggie sighed. "We have to go back soon, don't we?"

"Yeah. But not today."

"Good…"

"Sleep, Maggie."

"Love you, Boom-Boom."

"I love you, too, Tiger." Pressing her lips to Maggie's neck, Bianca smiled against the warm flesh. "I love you, too."

After spending another day in Venice, then stopping over in Milan to shop, Bianca, Maggie and Miranda flew home to Paris. Maggie was not looking forward to returning to classes, but the time away seemed to have done her and Bianca a world of good. Maggie couldn't remember a better birthday present in her life. But then she remembered, thinking back on all they had done and seen, all the best birthdays she had ever spent had been with Bianca by her side.

xxxxxxx

Paris, France

April, 2006

"Kendall!" Greenlee exclaimed, shoving open the kitchen door. "What are you doing!"

Kendall, with her back to the door, jumped at the sound of Greenlee's voice, the bag of cake mix in her fingers ripping open at her start. Chocolate cake powder filled the air as if someone had kicked a giant puffball.

"Greenlee! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" Kendall spun around, a fine dusting of brown covering her face and hands. "Look at what you made me do!"

Greenlee tried mightily to control her laughter but couldn't. "Sorry."

"No, you're not."

"Yes," Greenlee replied, a hand to her mouth. "I am, seriously." Then, she snorted.

"Oh, bite me!" Kendall exclaimed, hitting the smaller woman square in the face with a handful of cake mix.

Greenlee huffed, brown powder pluming out from her lips. "Oh, no, you didn't!" she shouted.

Kendall reared back with the rapidly emptying bag. "Oh, yes, I did. You want another round?"

Glancing around the kitchen, Greenlee suddenly grabbed an egg, pulling her hand back in imitation of Kendall's pose. "You really want to go there?"

"Don't you throw that egg at me!"

"Why not?" Greenlee asked. "Then I could just add a little milk and stick your head in an oven for an hour."

"An hour?!" Kendall exclaimed. She lowered the bag and straightened. "You'd over-bake me?" she pouted, her voice full of childish hurt.

"Well, I don't know!" Greenlee snapped, lowering her egg. "How long does it take to bake a cake?"

"Well, the box says 35 to 45 minutes…"

Suddenly, Greenlee shook her head, dislodging more cake mix. "Wait a minute, why are you baking a cake anyway? You're not exactly Julia Childs."

"It's Julia _Child_, you idiot."

"How the hell would I know, I'm not Julia _Child_, either!"

Kendall sighed and tossed the remaining mix into the sink, raising up another brown puff of dust. "I thought I'd make a cake for Maggie's birthday since they're coming home today," she explained. "You know, for fun."

Greenlee snorted. "Huh, Kendall, you and a kitchen do not equal fun. Fireball explosions maybe, but not fun."

"Then help me."

"What?!" Greenlee recoiled in horror. "Are you kidding?! Do I look like that Emeril guy?"

Kendall turned back towards the counter. "Only when you forget to shave."

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to!" Kendall suddenly spun around and advanced on the smaller woman. "You know something? You need sex in the worst possible way!"

"Ha! Worst way, best way, _any_ way!" Then Greenlee's spine straightened. "And what the hell does that have to do with baking a cake?!"

"Maybe if you were getting a little action, you wouldn't be so snarky!"

"Oh, yeah?! I was getting action when I was married to Ryan and I was still snarky!" She stopped. "Wait…"

"Sounds like that might have been Ryan's problem, not yours…" Kendall gave Greenlee a little smile. "That would explain a lot."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hey, I was getting action with Ryan at one time, too. And I was pretty snarky, if I recall…"

"Well, then I guess it's good that he's out of the picture now. Oh, wait, maybe not so good, I'm still not getting any action" Suddenly uncomfortable, Greenlee picked up the cake mix box, pretending to read the instructions. "So, how do you pre-heat an oven?"

Kendall sighed. "It doesn't matter now, the cake mix is all over me… and you… and the kitchen."

Greenlee scoffed at her friend. "Come on, Kendy, you know Maggie has a cookbook around here somewhere. I'll bet there are a dozen cake recipes in it."

Kendall thought about it for a moment. "Okay!" she finally agreed with enthusiasm.

They studiously went about their mission, hoping to surprise Maggie, Bianca and Miranda, by the time they arrived home later that day. Digging through one of the drawers, Greenlee found two aprons and quickly donned one, then tied the other around Kendall's waist. Items were retrieved from cabinets, utensils from drawers and the oven, after much debate, was finally set to pre-heat.

"Is that the sifter?" Greenlee asked.

Kendall held up the odd-looking contraption with a screen on its bottom and a crank handle on the side like her old jack-in-the-box. "I don't know, I think so."

"What do you do with it?"

You sift the flour, you doof."

"How?"

Conjuring up a memory, any memory, of watching her adopted mother, Alice Hart, baking in the kitchen, Kendall dumped half a bag of flour into the sifter and held it up. "There."

"That's it?"

"Well, yeah, I think so."

Greenlee shook her head. "Well, I don't. Give me that." She reached for the sifter. "Give it."

Kendall yanked the utensil out of reach, spewing flour across the floor. "No!"

"Come on, you twig!" Greenlee snapped, lunging for Kendall's arm. "It's not right!"

"I've got it, you little shrimp!"

"Give it here, Kendall!"

As they fought, flour was being tossed around the room like a delicate fall of snow, dusting everything it touched. The bickering got louder as they fought over the item like two children squabbling over the last Oreo cookie.

"Greenlee! Let go!"

"You're not doing it right!"

"How do you know?"

"Well, why does it have that handle thingy on the side?"

"For easy clean-up!"

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Oh, please!" She snatched the sifter from Kendall's hand. "Ha!"

"Now what, genius?"

"Turn the handle, you stick." As she did so, sifted flour fell out of the bottom. "Ha ha! See! I was right!"

Zach opened the kitchen door, hoping to snag one of Maggie's Fischer LaBelle's from the fridge before settling down to watch a soccer game on TV, and almost fell on the floured tile floor. Catching himself, he looked at the mess of a kitchen then saw his wife and Greenlee playing with a flour sifter, amazed at the feat the little contraption was capable of performing. An inscrutable expression on his face, he turned and walked out.

xxx

"I think you did that wrong."

"You think I did _everything_ wrong."

"Well, yeah."

"Do you even _know_ what 'fold in two eggs' means?"

"No. Do _you_?"

"That is _not_ the point."

"Actually, I think it _was_ my point."

"You're over-mixing it."

"I'm what?"

"You're over-mixing it. You know, there is such a thing as mixing the batter too much."

"Oh, you're just making that up because I wouldn't let you lick the spoon."

"Okay, fine. But when that cake comes out looking like it has an ant-farm of tunnels in it, don't blame it on me."

"Fine. I'll stop now. Happy?"

"Yes. Give me the spoon."

"Okay, just pour the batter into the cake pan."

"Get your arm out of my way."

"My arm? I'm not in your way, you loon." Glop. "What the hell was that for?"

"Your arm was in the way! I told you to move it!"

"I'm holding the pan still!"

"It's a cake pan! Where's it going to go?"

"Just finish what you're doing… and get this batter off my arm!"

"There, done."

"Okay, now we just put it in the oven and bake at 450 for 45 minutes. Set the timer."

"The what?"

"The timer- oh, forget it."

"Are you sure it should be set at 450 degrees?"

"Why?"

"Are you trying to bake it or cure it?"

"What do the instructions say in the stupid cookbook?"

"You goof, it says 35 minutes at 350 degrees!"

"Hmm… well, okay, it's already a 100 degrees hotter than it should be, so if we bake it for about 20 minutes at 450 degrees, that should be the same as 35 minutes at 350 degrees, right?"

"Yeah, that sounds right."

"Good. Set the timer."

"The what?"

xxx

It was almost time for Bianca, Maggie and Miranda to arrive home from the airport and Kendall was anxious to get the cake out of the oven so it could be frosted. She rushed across the kitchen with Greenlee on her heels, ready to pull the cake pan out of the appliance before them.

Her self-satisfied grin slowly crumbled as she pulled what looked to be a chocolate rock out of the oven.

"What did you do?" Greenlee accused.

"Me?! What did _you_ do?"

"Kendall, it's as hard as a rock! I think you've hit on a new way to make bricks!"

Kendall was reading over the directions in the cookbook. "Flour."

"Check," Greenlee replied, wiping at a streak of white powder on her cheek.

"Eggs."

Cracked egg shells in the sink. "Check."

"Vegetable oil, butter…"

"Check, check."

"Baking powder."

"Che- what?"

Kendall turned and gave Greenlee a look. "Baking. Powder."

"Um, isn't that the same thing as flour?"

"No, Greenlee, it is _not_ the same thing as flour. Baking powder is what makes a cake _rise_!"

"Well, how the hell should I know?! The closest I've ever been to baking is when I buy fresh baguettes down at Le Bon Bouchet!"

Suddenly, they heard the front door open, melodious laughter filling the apartment.

"Crap!" Kendall exclaimed. "They're home! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!!"

"Kendall! That cake isn't even frosted!"

"Thanks for the newsflash, Greenlee!"

Greenlee snatched the cake pan out of Kendall's hands. "Ow, shit!" She threw the pan on the counter then smacked Kendall on the arm. "Thanks for telling me it was still hot!"

"You saw me take it out of the oven!"

"Okay, genius, now what?"

"Shut up, I'm thinking!"

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "I don't think you have that much time, Kendall."

xxxx

Bianca pushed the stroller into the entry hall as Maggie dumped the suitcases onto the marble floor. Miranda cooed when Leo came racing around the corner, having heard the front door open and hurrying to see if his master had possibly come back to him.

"You'd think the driver had never seen us before," Maggie grumbled.

Bianca smiled her enigmatic little smile. "Oh, no, he's seen us before," she murmured. "I just don't think he's seen us with your face buried in my neck."

"I was thanking you for my birthday present."

"You were giving me a hickey-." Bianca stopped suddenly, an odd smell in the apartment finally tickling her senses. "What's that?" she asked.

Maggie gave her a look. "What's what- what's that smell?"

They both sniffed at the air. "It's like charcoal ash…"

"With hints of Scharffenberger chocolate…"

"It's coming from the kitchen."

"Oh, God, they're cooking!" Maggie exclaimed, hurrying across the living room to the closed kitchen door.

"Maggie!" Bianca called, quickly grabbing Miranda out of her stroller and chasing after her girlfriend. "Wait!"

Maggie shoved open the kitchen door and skidded on the flour-coated floor, reaching out a hand to the countertop to stop herself from falling. "Holy crap!" she blurted.

"Hoe-wee cwap!" Miranda chortled.

Kendall and Greenlee both jumped, startled by the commotion behind them. They spun around, looking incredibly guilty.

"Oh, my God…" Bianca murmured in shock, getting a look at the war zone the kitchen had become.

"What on earth is going on here?" Maggie demanded, looking down at the unknown substance coating her hands.

"Um, well," Greenlee stammered then grabbed the cake pan and shoved the hard as a rock monstrosity toward the blonde. "Happy birthday, Maggie?"

"What the hell is that?" Maggie asked, pulling her hands back as if in surrender and eying the brown lump warily.

"Greenlee made you a brick for your birthday," Kendall cracked.

"Hell!" Miranda chirped suddenly.

"Maggie!" Bianca exclaimed.

"What?!" Maggie replied. "This is _my_ fault?!"

"Stop cussing in front of Miranda!"

"Bianca! Lookit what they did to my kitchen!"

"And they'll clean it up," she assured the blonde. Then she gave the duo a particularly hairy looking evil eye. "Won't you?"

"Um, yeah!" Kendall gulped.

"See?" Greenlee added, grabbing a towel and rubbing at the counter. "Cleaning up!"

Maggie sighed. "Son of a bi-."

"Maggie!" Bianca admonished, quickly taking Miranda out of the room.

"So," Greenlee drawled. "How was Venice?"

"Shut it, Du Pres," Maggie snapped.

"Yeah, shut it, Greenlee," Kendall muttered through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, but since when did either of you think you could be the next Betty Crocker?" Maggie asked. "Let me guess, you two were deprived of an Easy-Bake Oven as children."

"Heh, maybe Greenlee was," Kendall cracked.

"Hey!" Pregnant pause. "What's an Easy-Bake Oven?"

"Clean up this kitchen!" Maggie shouted. Spinning around, she slipped on more flour and once again nearly upended herself. Quickly regaining her balance, she managed a rather dignified exit.

"So…" Greenlee mused. "You think she liked the cake?"

xxxxx

"Unbelievable," Maggie muttered, glancing back behind her. "I'm leaving a flour trail on the carpet." She sighed and looked up at Bianca. "Did you see that mess?"

"Hey, at least they stayed out of trouble while we were gone."

"What?! What the hell do you call that?"

"Hell!" Miranda chirped.

"Maggie!"

Maggie appeared properly chastened. "Sorry."

"Hey, at least they didn't blow up the city while we were gone."

"Oh, hooray…"

They found Zach in the den, feet propped up on the table, a snifter of Napoleon brandy resting on his flat belly. He appeared to be deep in quiet introspection.

"Zach?" Bianca asked cautiously.

"Your sister is going to drive me to drink," he muttered, taking a healthy swallow of the expensive Louis XIII de Rémy Martin cognac.

"Huh, welcome to my world," Maggie snorted.

"How was Venice." It wasn't really phrased as a question, but more as a request from a very tired man aching for some adult conversation.

"We had a wonderful time," Bianca informed him. "I highly recommend the trip."

Zach turned his gaze on Bianca. "Would you keep Kendall and Greenlee while I go?"

Maggie burst out laughing.

"LEO!" Miranda shrieked, seeing her cat at Bianca's feet, looking up hopefully at its master. The little girl tried to throw herself out of her mother's arms. "Leo-kitty!"

"Wait a minute, Munchie," Bianca said, retaining her grip on the struggling child. She set her down on the floor. "There you go. You be careful, okay?"

"Otay, Momma." She immediately picked the cat up in her arms and they practically hugged one another. "Come, Leo, wet's pway." She toddled out of the den, the animal on her heels. "I saw fishie, Leo!"

Bianca sighed. "Yeah, she tried to catch it for him, too…"

xxxx

After the kitchen had been thoroughly decontaminated, they all went out to dinner, then returned to the apartment. Zach excused Kendall and himself, pulling her towards the stairs and disappearing in the upper hallway. The look on his face was dangerous, hooded and very nearly wild. Bianca had an indelible vision of the cover of one of Erica's old romance novels, a real bodice-ripper, featuring a handsome Scottish Lord and his woman.

The fact that the vision was indelible made her shudder.

Maggie took Miranda up to her room while Greenlee disappeared into the kitchen and Bianca went to the den to check on any Cambias business that had been awaiting her return. There were a few calls to be returned, so she settled down at the desk to take care of matters before turning in for the night.

Not wanting to go to her room just yet, afraid of what she might hear through the wall, Greenlee wandered the apartment. After finding Bianca on the phone, bent over a folder with a seriously intent look on her face, she made her way to the stairs, thinking maybe Maggie would show her more pictures from the trip. Or maybe give her another present purchased in Italy…

She found the blonde in the nursery, sitting on the floor with Miranda and the kitten, the little girl playing with her Elmo plushie.

"'Aggie go skoo?" Miranda asked, walking Elmo across the blanket.

"Not tomorrow, sweetie," Maggie replied. "I've still got a couple of days before I have to go back."

"Otay."

Maggie watched the child play with the Elmo toy. "You like Elmo, don't you, Munchie."

"Ehmo!" Miranda squealed, holding the doll up.

"Can I see Elmo?" Maggie asked, holding out her hand.

_Oh, this should be good_, Greenlee thought, remembering her own encounter with the child and that stupid doll. "She won't give it to you," she said smugly, knowing how Miranda guarded Elmo.

"Yes, she will," Maggie replied, never taking her eyes off Miranda. "Won't you, Sweetie? Can I see Elmo?"

"She won't let go of that toy."

"Yes, she will."

"No, she won't."

"Yes. She will."

"No. She won't"

"Yes, Greenlee, watch." She held out her hand. "Can I see Elmo?"

"She won't give it up," Greenlee sing-songed.

"You don't know this child like I do, Greenlee."

Greenlee snorted. "Oh, trust me, Maggie. You don't know that child like _I_ do." She crossed her arms and leaned against the door jamb. "She won't let go of Elmo."

"Ehmo," Miranda said, putting the doll into Maggie's hands.

Maggie grinned at Greenlee victoriously. "See?"

"You little traitor," Greenlee grumbled at the little girl. "What about all that bonding we did at Disneyland? Who took you on all the rides when Auntie Kendall wanted to suck face with Uncle Zach?"

Miranda looked up at Greenlee with child-like innocence. She held out another stuffed toy. "Tibber," she said to Greenlee. "You, Tibber. 'Aggie, Ehmo."

Taken aback, Greenlee entered the room and took the Tigger doll from Miranda. "Thanks, Sweetie," she said softly.

"Hmm, apparently I'm Elmo and you're Tigger," Maggie pondered softly. "What does that tell you?"

"You're an odd-looking furry red thing and I'm a bouncy tiger?"

Maggie was silent for a moment. "Well, actually, I was thinking that, as Elmo, I mold her on a daily basis, teaching her about life and her own personality… and you are a figment of someone's vivid imagination with a spring up you're a-."

"Watch it, Stone." Greenlee settled onto the blanket beside Maggie and held Tigger out to Miranda. She watched the little girl take the Tigger and the Elmo Maggie held out, a soft smile lighting her eyes. "Can I ask you a question, Maggie?"

"Sure."

"How did you do it?"

"Do what? I just asked her for the doll and she gave it to me."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Not that, you doofus. How did you recover from Jonathan?"

"Wow…" Maggie whispered, feeling like she'd just gotten the wind knocked out of her. "I wasn't expecting that…"

"I want to know, Maggie. You were messed up with a Lavery just like I was and look at you now. You've got this incredible love thing going on with Bianca, you're raising a child together, you're going to be a doctor…"

"And you want to know that it could happen for you, too."

Greenlee sighed. "Yeah."

"Well," Maggie said, weighing her words carefully. "Here's the hard part, Greenlee. You have to let yourself love again."

"Was it hard?"

Maggie laughed. "Are you kidding? I had to move to another _continent_!" Greenlee chuckled with her. "I had to heal first, before I could accept that Bianca loved me. After Jonathan… he destroyed my self-confidence, my belief in myself… my judgment for what I knew was right. Bianca knew that I needed to recover all of that before I could move on and give my heart to her, let alone anyone else."

"How long does the healing take?"

Maggie took Greenlee's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's going to be different for you than it was for me, Greenlee. And I know it's scary to give your heart away again after… after what we've been through. But one day, I looked at Bianca and I knew that it wasn't my heart to give anymore. It was hers. It had always been hers and I was just holding onto it until I found the person it really belonged to." Suddenly, Maggie laughed. "Man, that was cheesy, wasn't it?"

"No," Greenlee murmured. "I know exactly what you mean. I felt that way with Leo."

"I guess what I'm saying is, don't let Ryan win. And it won't happen overnight, but you will get over him and what he did to you." Then Maggie shrugged, as if the answer was just that simple. "I did."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, Greenlee, I promise."

"Good, because I need to get laid…"

Maggie burst out laughing. "You know, you don't need to wait until you get over Ryan to get laid- you know what? Never mind." She held out her hands as if to ward off the topic. Greenlee laughed at her sudden unease. Maggie decided it was time to change the subject. "Thank you, by the way," she murmured.

Greenlee looked up at Maggie. "For what?"

"For everything you did. You knew Jonathan was bad news and I know you kept an eye on him. I know you were watching out for me." Maggie smiled sadly. "I wish I'd listened to you."

"Well, you weren't alone, Maggie. _No_ one listened to me when I was sure Jonathan had poisoned me. And no one could have known he was the one who shot Ryan…"

"I know, it just feels like I should have known better."

"Well, you can't dwell on it anymore, Maggie. We can't go back and change the past. You didn't know that Jonathan was what he was. And I certainly never realized Ryan's God-complex. I knew he had superhero tendencies, but I could never have imagined that whole pretending-to-be-dead-because-he-thought-he-was-saving-me fiasco… what a moron. I don't recall _asking_ him to save me."

Maggie leaned close. "Take your own advice, Greenlee. You can't go back and change the past, so don't dwell on it. Someday you're going to meet someone. He'll treat you the way you were meant to be treated and then one day, you'll realize he has ownership of your heart. And, more importantly, you have ownership of his."

Suddenly, Greenlee waved a dismissive hand. "Don't get all mushy on me, Stone," she said, not comfortable dealing with her emotions, never at ease allowing others to see her vulnerability. "You're Leo's cousin. Gotta watch out for family, I guess."

"Yeah," Maggie said with a knowing smile, the shoe now on the other foot. "I guess."

Miranda had fallen asleep on her blanket, the cat curled up at her side, while Maggie and Greenlee had talked. Slowly, Greenlee got to her feet and smiled down at the little girl.

"She's a little angel," she whispered.

"Yeah, she is."

"She's just like Bianca."

Maggie smiled, her eyes never leaving Miranda's slumbering form. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, look at her. She's beautiful, serene, perfect…"

Maggie glanced up at her cousin's widow. "Greenlee? Why did you hate Bianca so much when you first came to town?"

Greenlee smiled sadly. "Because I was a bitch when I first came to town," she answered with a sigh. "I was a spoiled rotten little snob who was so miserable with her own life she felt she had to make others just as miserable. And Bianca had Leo. And I hated her for that."

"But you tried to blackmail her when you found out she was gay. Didn't knowing she was gay kinda give you a clear path to Leo?"

"I told you I was not a very nice person, Maggie. And the blackmail thing was to keep her quiet when I tried to drown Laura English. I couldn't care less about Bianca's sexual orientation."

"Oh, well, that makes sense."

"Bianca had what I wanted, Maggie. She had a mother who loved her, friends who would die – or in your case, kill – for her, perfect skin and a killer body. What wasn't there to be envious of?" Greenlee fell silent for a moment then sighed. "When I realized that I couldn't live my life on hate anymore, I decided to let go of all that anger and jealousy. It may have taken me a while, but I stopped hating everyone who tried to like me, or even care for me. Letting Bianca off the hook for my attitude… well, she never deserved it."

Maggie slowly got up and picked up Miranda, putting her down in her crib for the night. "Greenlee, I understand about crappy childhoods. And I understand about letting go of all the… baggage that goes along with it. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Mags."

"But if you ever hurt Bianca ever again… I'll cut you into little pieces and mail you to the four corners of the globe."

Greenlee's eyes popped open at Maggie's words, which were said casually and with a beatific smile. "Okay…" She stumbled backwards a few steps. "Um… okay… good talk, really, Mags… So, um… heh… uh, good night." With that, she bolted out the door, heading for her room and safe haven. "Good night, Bianca!" she blurted, racing down the stairs.

A moment later, Bianca entered the nursery. "What was that all about?" she asked, tossing a thumb over her shoulder as she, moved to Maggie's side to look down at her sleeping baby girl.

"Nothing. I just told Greenlee I would appreciate it if she never treated you harshly ever again."

"Oh, that sounds like a threat."

Maggie shrugged. "Maybe a little one."

"Yeah, right."

"I just remember how hateful she was to you when I first came to town and I wanted to make sure she understood to never do it again."

Bianca sighed and clasped her hands, holding them up to her cheek. "My hero," she murmured with another, more exaggerated, sigh as she batted her eyelashes.

"Oh, shut up…" Maggie blushed and turned toward the master suite.

"You're going to have to be careful, Mags. I don't know how to explain away my girlfriend's violent tendencies… you've threatened Kendall _and_ Greenlee."

"They deserve it," Maggie mumbled, quickly changing into sleep pants and a white tank top.

Bianca stopped what she was doing and looked at Maggie, who was climbing into bed. "Are you always going to be my protector, Maggie?"

"Yes."

With a shake of her head, Bianca slid under the covers beside Maggie and curled up against her side. Maggie wrapped her arms around Bianca's shoulders and pulled her close.

"Thank you, Tiger," Bianca whispered against Maggie's shoulder. "For always protecting me."

"Don't let it go to your already big head, Montgomery," Maggie muttered. "It's what I'm supposed to do for my girlfriend."

"And am _I_ your girlfriend?"

Maggie rolled her eyes, something Bianca couldn't see, but could certainly sense, in the dark. "Yes, you're my girlfriend."

"Do you _love_ me?" Bianca asked in a sing-song tone.

"Oh, come one, Binks…"

"Come on, Maggie. Do you _love_ me?"

Maggie sighed resignedly. "You know I do."

"Do you wanna _kiss_ me?"

"Oh, good Lord," Maggie groaned, releasing Bianca and rolling onto her side away from the brunette.

"Oh, you _love_ me! You want to _date _me, you think I'm _gorgeous_- eep!"

Suddenly, Bianca's words were cut off in a squeak as Maggie pounced, knocking the brunette onto her back and pinning her hands to the mattress. "Okay, Boom-Boom, first off, no more _Miss Congeniality_ for you, you've got an unhealthy obsession with Sandra Bullock."

"Okay…" Bianca squeaked again.

"And second…"

"Yeah…?"

Anticipation hung in the air for a moment then Maggie dipped her head, capturing Bianca's warm lips with her own. It took only a moment for Bianca to respond to Maggie's mouth on hers and the kiss deepened. Bianca easily surrendered to the heady familiar taste, sinking luxuriously into the kiss, her arms skating easily up Maggie's back to tangle in her hair.

After a few minutes, or hours or days, Maggie gently pulled back, scattering kisses down Bianca's cheek to her neck.

"You're doing this to shut me up," Bianca murmured, her breath catching when Maggie nipped at her throat. "Aren't you?"

Maggie stopped her assault and dropped her head into the pillow beneath Bianca's head. "And I can see it's not working," she muttered.

"You know what I think?"

Maggie sighed. "If I say yes, are you going to tell me anyway?"

Bianca smacked Maggie on the butt. "Watch it."

"Okay," Maggie sighed in resignation. "What do you think?"

"I think you get embarrassed."

"Yeah, well, I think you're wrong."

"No, no, you get embarrassed when I tell you how much I love you protecting me."

Maggie sighed, her head on Bianca's shoulder. She looked up suddenly. "Okay, you're right, I get embarrassed. There. Happy? Can we move on now?"

"Now you're just humoring me."

"And they said you weren't all that smart."

"Hey!"

With a grin, Maggie kissed Bianca again, a long, slow, deliberate kiss. Bianca closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the kiss, drinking in the taste and texture of Maggie's mouth as if she were drowning and only the woman in her arms could save her.

And save her she did…

xxxxx

Paris, France

Early May 2006

"Where are we going?" Maggie asked again, pushing Miranda's stroller down the Place de la Madelaine.

Bianca turned from her position about 6 feet ahead of her girlfriend. "I want to go to Fauchon," she replied. "We don't get the chance to shop there very often."

Maggie blew out a breath. "It's a grocery store, Bianca. Do you have to go at warp speed to get there?"

"Yeah, Binks," Kendall replied, trudging along with Greenlee a few paces behind Maggie and Miranda. "We've been running all day. My feet hurt."

"You're wearing Jimmy Choo's to go shopping," Greenlee informed her. "It serves you right if your feet hurt."

"Shut up."

"_You_ shut up."

"No, _you_ shut up."

"No, _you_ shut-."

"Ladies," Zach grumbled threateningly. They both shut up.

They reached the store, the incredible window displays drawing them closer, and Bianca rushed inside. Maggie turned to say something to the others and stopped dead. Not watching where they were going, Kendall and Greenlee, playing slap-hand or something, plowed right into Maggie, nearly knocking her over.

"Hey, short stuff," Greenlee exclaimed. "Watch where you're going."

"It can't be," Maggie muttered, her eyes locked on something over Zach's shoulder. "There's no way!"

"What?"

"I can't believe that ba-!"

Kendall followed Maggie's eyes. "Oh, no she didn't!" she exclaimed.

Bianca came back out of the store. "Hey, what's the hold... up..." She followed Maggie's gaze and stopped. "Babe?"

Babe and J.R. Chandler were strolling up the sidewalk, right toward Maggie, Bianca and the others. Babe looked up just in time to see a startled Bianca and furious Maggie.

"Bianca? Maggie?" Babe blurted, recognizing the two women before her almost immediately, a grin slowly spreading across her face. She saw the stroller Maggie was pushing. "Hi, Miranda!"

Maggie's hand drew back, seemingly of its own accord. The rest happened in slow motion.

Bianca saw what was about to happen. "Maggie!" she shouted. "No!"

Kendall and Greenlee looked on with smug grins on their faces, both almost wishing they were in Maggie's place at that moment in time.

Zach crossed his arms over his chest, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

In a split second, Maggie managed to alter her aim. Fist met square jaw with a satisfying crack, the contact sending a shuddering jolt up her arm. The blonde on the receiving end of the right cross hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Glass jaw," Greenlee tsked. "Should've known."

"Maggie!" Bianca admonished.

Maggie stood over the prone figure on the ground. "That's for pushing my girlfriend off a balcony," she growled.

J.R. put his hand to his tender mouth, saw blood on his fingers. "You crazy bit-."

"Watch it!" Kendall and Greenlee snapped simultaneously.

"Ow! Shit!" Maggie exclaimed suddenly, waving her hand in pain. She began to dance in a circle, alternately shaking and cradling her suddenly sore hand. "Damn, that really hurts!"

Bianca took hold of Maggie's hand, more concerned with her girlfriend than with the Pine Valley-ite still sitting on the Paris sidewalk. "Maggie, are you okay?"

"Hey!" JR shouted. "I'm bleeding here!" He started to rise. "Crazy bit-."

Zach grinned outright. "Stay down, Little Chandler," he advised, moving to stand over the bleeding young man.

JR sat back down on the ground.

"Good boy," Zach grinned. He glanced over at Maggie, still shaking her quickly swelling hand. "Nice right cross you got there, little watch dog."

"Thanks. It's come in handy over the years."

JR glowered. "Punch a lot of innocent people, do you?" he snapped.

Everyone took one giant step backwards, and even Zach looked up to the sky.

"I understand getting struck by lightening packs an even bigger punch," he drawled, quirking an eyebrow at the Chandler trust-fund baby. "I wouldn't recommend it."

"Shut up, Slater."

"Of all the countries on the European continent," Maggie growled, still waving her hand, "you pick _France_? And then you come to _Paris_? Jeez, you _are_ as dumb as you look!"

"It's a big city, Stone," JR snapped, apparently, the only way he had of expressing himself. "This is completely by accident."

"Are you kidding me?! We're from _Pine Valley_, Junior! We're _supposed_ to run into each other by accident in a foreign city with over two million residents!" Maggie shook her hand once more then flexed the fingers several times. "I hope you didn't ruin my medical career…"

Bianca, still not having really acknowledged JR or Babe, took Maggie's hand once more. "You need ice on those knuckles. Kendall? Could you get us some ice, please?"

"Sure, Binks." The curly headed beauty grabbed Greenlee's hand. "We'll be right back."

"I could use some ice, too!" JR shouted.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Greenlee called back.

It was quite a scene. Babe knelt by JR on the sidewalk, wiping his bloody lip with a Kleenex. Zach stood over the pair, watching them closely. Kendall and Greenlee returned with a bag of ice they managed to acquire from a street vendor on the corner and Bianca gently settled the frozen cubes onto Maggie's knuckles. Maggie hissed at the sensation then whimpered.

"Sorry, sorry…" Bianca whispered. She placed a gentle kiss on the torn, bruised skin of Maggie's knuckles. "Maybe now you'll think twice before you punch somebody," she admonished softly. She looked up and met Maggie's eyes.

Maggie just gave her a lopsided grin.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "No, I guess not…"

TBC-

_Con te Partiró_ or _I'll Go With You_ English translation is below. It was renamed _Time to Say Goodbye_ in the US when Andrea Bocelli recorded it several years ago, but as you can see by the lyrics, it is not about leaving anyone but about going along wherever your loved one goes. If you want to hear this incredibly lovely song, you can watch the video on by searching for Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman or _Time to Say Goodbye_ in any combination in Videos and you should get a match. Somewhere along the line, they tossed in the phrase 'Time to Say Goodbye'. _shrugs_

_Con te Partiró_ or _I'll Go With You_

(Best known in the US as _Time to Say Goodbye_, which is a misnomer)

When I'm alone  
I dream on the horizon  
And words fail;  
Yes, I know there is no light  
In a room  
Where the sun is not there  
If you are not with me.  
At the windows  
Show everyone my heart  
Which you set alight;  
Enclose within me  
The light you

Encountered on the street.

I'll go with you,

To countries I never

Saw and shared with you,  
Now, yes, I shall experience them,

I'll go with you  
On ships across seas  
Which, I know,  
No, no, exist no longer;

With you I shall experience them.  
When you are far away  
I dream on the horizon  
And words fail,

And yes, I know  
That you are with me;

You, my moon, are here with me,

My sun, you are here with me.  
With me, with me, with me,

I'll go with you,  
To countries I neverSaw and shared with you,

Now, yes, I shall experience them,  
I'll go with youOn ships across seas  
Which, I know,  
No, no, exist no longer;  
With you I shall experience them.

I'll go with you  
On ships across seas  
Which, I know,  
No, no, exist no longer;

With you I shall experience them.  
I'll go with you,  
I with you.

The Tigger Song:

The most wonderful thing about Tiggers,  
is Tiggers are wonderful things.  
Their tops are made out of rubber,  
_**their bottoms are made out of springs**_.  
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy,  
Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!  
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is,  
I'm the only one.


	15. E Equals MC2 or It’s All Relative

Disclaimer – Lather, Rinse, Repeat

A/N: In this fics universe, Ryan did fake his own death, but when he returned to Pine Valley, Greenlee gave him a stiff right cross to the jaw and a boot in the butt out the door. There was no baby talk (I mean surrogacy, not "goo-goo, gah- gah") between Kendall and Greenlee, Kendall just helped Greenlee heal with comfort, love and friendship; therefore, there was no Dr. Madden, no Josh-the-Amazing-walking-talking-fetus-MD, no undone Erica abortion from a groundbreaking long-ago storyline, no Spike and no Rendall re-bonding. And that's all I have to say about that.

Rating goes up to PG-13/R for sexual situations...

_**I remember every little thing  
As if it happened only yesterday  
Parking by the lake  
And there was not another car in sight  
And I never had a girl  
Looking any better than you did  
And all the kids at school  
They were wishing they were me that night**_

_**And now our bodies are oh so close and tight  
It never felt so good, it never felt so right  
And were glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife  
Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife  
C'mon! Hold on tight!  
C'mon! Hold on tight!  
Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night  
I can see paradise by the dashboard light**_

Meat Loaf – _Paradise by the Dashboard Light_

Chapter 15– E Equals Mc² or It's All Relative

Paris, France

Late May 2006

"'Aggie owie?" Miranda asked, watching as her mother placed a fresh bag of ice on Maggie's now grotesquely swollen right hand.

Maggie hissed like a hot air balloon with a rip in the side, literally coming up off the sofa at the pain reverberating all the way up to her shoulder. "Yeah, sweetie," she whispered through gritted teeth. "I have a little owie."

Miranda stood beside them, Leo at her side, Elmo in her hands. "Otay," she replied, as if that answered everything. "Kiss it, Mommie."

"Yeah, kiss it, Bianca."

Bianca gave Maggie a look. "We've already played this game, Maggie. Last night, if I recall."

Maggie grinned. "Oh, yeah…" Suddenly, Maggie jumped. "Ow, damn, Binks!"

"Sorry," Bianca murmured, pulling the ice away to take a look. "Serves you right, though."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Maggie winced and screwed her eyes shut tight. "Can you put that ice bag on my head?"

"Okay, now _that's_ your own fault."

"Babe drives me to drink. And with JR, that just added insult to injury." Maggie opened her eyes to see Bianca giving her a look. "No pun intended."

Before Bianca could respond, Kendall and Greenlee stumbled into the den, looking as if they'd been run over by 2 trucks, a horse-drawn carriage and all the bulls at Pamplona.

"Well," Bianca murmured. "Look what the cat coughed up."

Kendall moaned and grabbed her head. "Stop shouting, Binks."

Greenlee slapped Kendall. "You stop shouting , too."

"I'm not shouting."

"Yes, you are.

"No, I'm not…. THIS IS SHOUTING!"

"Ugh," Maggie moaned, plopping down face first into Bianca's lap. "Shut them up, please."

"Who wants breakfast?" Bianca asked brightly. The other three all groaned simultaneously.

"Oh, God…," Kendall muttered, turning green. "Stop, Binks, before Greenlee barfs."

The previous day/night:

_Babe and J.R. Chandler were strolling up the sidewalk, right toward Maggie, Bianca and the others. Babe looked up just in time to see a startled Bianca and furious Maggie._

"_Bianca? Maggie?" Babe blurted, recognizing the two women before her almost immediately, a grin slowly spreading across her face. She saw the stroller Maggie was pushing. "Hi, Miranda!"_

_Maggie's hand drew back, seemingly of its own accord. The rest happened in slow motion._

_Bianca saw what was about to happen. "Maggie!" she shouted. "No!"_

_Kendall and Greenlee looked on with smug grins on their faces, both almost wishing they were in Maggie's place at that moment in time. _

_Zach crossed his arms over his chest, a ghost of a smile on his lips._

_In a split second, Maggie managed to alter her aim. Fist met square jaw with a satisfying crack, the contact sending a shuddering jolt up her arm. The blonde on the receiving end of the right cross hit the ground like a sack of potatoes._

"_Glass jaw," Greenlee tsked. "Should've known."_

"_Maggie!" Bianca admonished._

_Maggie stood over the prone figure on the ground. "That's for pushing my girlfriend off a balcony," she growled. _

_J.R. put his hand to his tender mouth, saw blood on his fingers. "You crazy bit-."_

"_Watch it!" Kendall and Greenlee snapped simultaneously._

"_Ow! Shit!" Maggie exclaimed suddenly, waving her hand in pain. She began to dance in a circle, alternately shaking and cradling her suddenly sore hand. "Damn, that really hurts!"_

_Bianca took hold of Maggie's hand, more concerned with her girlfriend than with the Pine Valley-ite still sitting on the Paris sidewalk. "Maggie, are you okay?"_

"_Hey!" JR shouted. "I'm bleeding here!" He started to rise. "Crazy bit-."_

_Zach grinned outright. "Stay down, Little Chandler," he advised, moving to stand over the bleeding young man._

_JR sat back down on the ground._

"_Good boy," Zach grinned. He glanced over at Maggie, still shaking her quickly swelling hand. "Nice right cross you got there, little watch dog."_

"_Thanks. It's come in handy over the years."_

_JR glowered. "Punch a lot of innocent people, do you?" he snapped._

_Everyone took one giant step backwards, and even Zach looked up to the sky._

"_I understand getting struck by lightening packs an even bigger punch," he drawled, quirking an eyebrow at the Chandler trust-fund baby. "I wouldn't recommend it."_

"_Shut up, Slater."_

"_Of all the countries on the European continent," Maggie growled, still waving her hand, "you pick France? And then you come to Paris? Jeez, you are as dumb as you look!"_

"_It's a big city, Stone," JR snapped, apparently, the only way he had of expressing himself. "This is completely by accident."_

"_Are you kidding me?! We're from Pine Valley, Junior! We're supposed to run into each other by accident in a foreign city with over two million residents!" Maggie shook her hand once more then flexed the fingers several times. "I hope you didn't ruin my medical career…"_

_Bianca, still not having really acknowledged JR or Babe, took Maggie's hand once more. "You need ice on those knuckles. Kendall? Could you get us some ice, please?"_

"_Sure, Binks." The curly headed beauty grabbed Greenlee's hand. "We'll be right back."_

"_I could use some ice, too!" JR shouted._

"_Yeah, good luck with that," Greenlee called back._

_It was quite a scene. Babe knelt by JR on the sidewalk, wiping his bloody lip with a Kleenex. Zach stood over the pair, watching them closely. Kendall and Greenlee returned with a bag of ice they managed to acquire from a street vendor on the corner and Bianca gently settled the frozen cubes onto Maggie's knuckles. Maggie hissed at the sensation then whimpered._

"_Sorry, sorry…" Bianca whispered. She placed a gentle kiss on the torn, bruised skin of Maggie's knuckles. "Maybe now you'll think twice before you punch somebody," she admonished softly. She looked up and met Maggie's eyes._

_Maggie just gave her a lopsided grin._

_Bianca rolled her eyes. "No, I guess not…" _

_Without so much as a look back, Bianca led Maggie to the front doors of Fauchon and they slipped inside._

_Zach grinned down at JR. "See ya," he drawled, turning away and assisting Kendall, Greenlee, and Miranda into the store as well._

_They arrived home a little later and while Bianca unpacked the groceries, Maggie uncorked a bottle of wine. Watching her spin around the kitchen attempting to open a bottle of very fine Bordeaux with only one hand, Bianca had to turn away to hide her smile. Eventually, Maggie got the offending cork out of the bottle and poured a large glass, taking a healthy swallow almost immediately._

"_Maggie!"_

_Maggie looked up, sheer innocence on her face. "What? Medicinal purposes…"_

"_Yeah, right."_

_The kitchen door burst open and Kendall stormed in, followed by a growling Greenlee. _

"_Oh, that bitch!" Kendall exclaimed, her corneas seared with the vision of a smiling Babe on the Rue la Madelaine. "I just wanna kill- ooh, wine."_

_She wrestled the bottle from Maggie's hands- er, hand- and searched out a large glass._

"_Me, too!" Greenlee chirped, snagging Kendall's glass before the taller woman could drink._

"_Hey!"_

"_Hey, yourself!"_

"_Hey!" Maggie added. "My wine!"_

"_Our wine!" Kendall corrected. "How's the mitt?"_

_Maggie sighed. "It'll be better once I dull the pain with this wonderful Haut-Médoc."_

"_I hear ya, Slugger. Come on, let's sit out on the balcony."_

"_I'll get us something to eat!" Greenlee exclaimed. "Okay?"_

"_What the hell," Maggie acquiesced. She passed by Bianca and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Please come check on us. Who knows what the hell could happen with those two."_

"_I'll be out soon."_

_Well, 'soon' turned out to be two hours and three bottles of wine later. After having to give Miranda a bath, which the little girl fought the entire time, and put her down for the night, and Guylene calling from the office with an urgent matter that turned out to be not that urgent, Bianca finally made it out onto the balcony._

"_Oh, my God…" she murmured. _

_The apartment stereo system was turned on, music flooding out through the speakers hanging just outside the French doors, an American oldies station playing classic Motown, Beatles, British Invasion and Beach music. _

_Kendall and Greenlee were standing on the table, seven stories above the Parisian street, dancing in unison to an old Supremes hit._

"_Stop! In the name of love, before you break my heart!" they sang, jumping to face the opposite direction. "Stop! In the name of love, before you break my heart! Think it oh- oh- ver…"_

"_Get down!" Bianca exclaimed. "Good Lord, get down before you fall over the railing!" She reached up and grabbed Kendall's arm, pulling her sister back down to the ground. "Greenlee!"_

"_Hey!" Greenlee exclaimed, peering off the balcony at the Eiffel Tower. "Is that guy waving at me?"_

"_Are you stupid or something?" Maggie retorted, her words slurring dangerously. "That's not a guy."_

"_Oh, Maggie," Bianca whispered with anguish. "You're plastered."_

"_Oui!" Maggie exclaimed. "Je suis plowed!"_

"_Mademoiselle Montgomery?" a voice called from the balcony below them. "Êtes-vous bien?"_

"_Crap," Bianca muttered under her breath. "Piss off the neighbors, guys…" She sighed. "Pardon, Monsieur Ferrare," she called out. "Je fais des excuses pour le bruit!"_

"_Ce n'est pas un problem," Monsieur Ferrare replied from his own balcony. "Tant que chacun est bien__!"_

"_Oui! Oui, merci!" She turned to the three wobbly women. "Shut it!" she hissed._

"_Shh!" Maggie slurred._

"_Shp!" Greenlee added, putting a finger to her lips._

"_Shp?" Kendall replied. "What the hell does 'shp' mean?"_

_Greenlee wobbled slightly. "I don't know, you said it."_

"_No, I didn't, you did."_

"_Huh, not me."_

_Bianca put her hands on her hips, a pure "disgusted mother" move. "Alright, inside. All of you!"_

"_Oh, man," Kendall muttered. "Mom's pissed."_

"_How can you tell?" Greenlee asked._

"_I can tell by that vein sticking out in her forehead," Maggie replied. "I only see when she's pissed or when we're-."_

"_Inside!" Bianca bellowed, cutting off Maggie's response, knowing exactly what she was going to reveal._

"_Okay, okay!" Greenlee replied as they all trudged into the apartment. "Man... can't have any fun... I hate France..."_

"_You need to get laid, Greenlee," Kendall muttered in an aside._

_Greenlee snorted. "Tell me something I don't know."_

"_The circumference of a circle is measured by its radius multiplied by its ulna."_

_Bianca's eyebrows drew together in confusion at Kendal's rambling. "What?"_

"_That's not true," Greenlee replied quickly. "To calculate the circumference of a circle, you need to multiply pi times the diameter of the circle."_

"_What?!" Bianca exclaimed._

"_Oh, crap!" Maggie shouted. "Greenlee gets smarter when she gets drunk!"_

_Greenlee spun on Maggie. "You take that back!"_

"_No! You stop being smart!"_

"_I can't help it!"_

"_Yes, you can!"_

_Greenlee pouted. "No, seriously, I can't. Sometimes, I just open my mouth and smart stuff comes out…"_

"_Oh, yeah? What's the speed of sound?"_

"_That depends… The speed of sound actually varies depending on the medium through which the sound is traveling. The speed of sound varies directly with the number of degrees of freedom of each molecule in the gas and varies inversely with the molar mass of the gas. The speed of sound in air is approximately 741.5 mph."_

"_Holy crap…" Kendall mumbled. She looked at Maggie. "Is that right?"_

_Maggie shrugged. "I have no idea."_

"_Wow," Bianca added, suitably impressed._

"_See?" Greenlee_

_Kendall shook her head sadly. "Man, you need to get laid."_

Listening to Greenlee groaning like she had a deviated septum and Kendall barking at her to stop snapped Bianca out of her reverie. She stroked Maggie's hair then took her hand.

"Come on, Tiger, let's go for a walk."

"Don't wanna…" Maggie whimpered.

"Oh, come on, the fresh air will do you good."

Maggie sat up with a seriously pouty look on her face. "Oh, alright," she grumped, getting to her feet. Sticking her tongue out at Kenlee, she marched out of the den and waited for Bianca to settle Miranda in her stroller. "I need coffee…"

"Okay, come on," Bianca replied. "We'll stop somewhere for coffee and something to eat."

"Binks…"

"You need to eat, Maggie. I won't take no for an answer."

"Oh, okay, dammit."

"Dammit!" Miranda chirped.

"Maggie!"

"Miranda!"

"What?" Miranda replied innocently.

They walked casually up Avenue Foch, Place Charles de Gaulle ahead of them, without a care in the world. Bianca pushed Miranda's stroller, Maggie ambling along side. Sunlight filtered through the leaves on the large trees shading the parkway, a soft spring breeze blowing gently in their faces.

Maggie stuck her hands in her jeans pockets, kicking up puffs of the sandy walkway with her Nike's. Never taking her eyes off the Arc de Triomphe up ahead, she sighed. "Bianca?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Bianca dipped her head to hide her grin. "I think I figured that out when you punched JR. But, I love you, too, Maggie."

"I was going to slug Babe, you know."

Bianca sighed. "Yeah, Tiger, I know."

"Next time, I won't change my aim."

"I know that, too."

"I'll break that pert little nose of hers."

"Okay, Maggie, I get the point."

"Good, good, because- oh, my God, look at that!" Maggie exclaimed as a sleek, dark sports car roared by. "Oh, man, that was an Aston-Martin! A Vanquish!" She spun around, watching as the car sailed down the avenue. "Man, that's gorgeous!" She turned to Bianca. "Did you see that, Binks? Man, an Aston-Martin Vanquish! Those are 260,000 dollar cars! Man, I bet that thing rides like a dream." They started walking again, Maggie glancing back occasionally in the direction the Vanquish had disappeared. "That was… wow…"

Bianca grinned at Maggie's enthusiasm. "You never struck me as a gearhead, Maggie."

Maggie sighed. "Frankie's fault," she replied. "She loved cars, especially low-slung fast ones." She glanced at Bianca and shrugged. "I guess I remember more about cars than I thought I did." She blushed a little. "Come on," she mumbled. "I'm kinda hungry now…"

Still smiling over Maggie's unabashed excitement over the car, Bianca pushed Miranda's stroller across the street and onto the Champs Elysees.

Meanwhile, back at the apartment:

"Here, drink this."

Greenlee leaned away from the thick sludge Kendall shoved under her nose. "Jeez, Kendall!" she exclaimed, nearly gagging at the aroma wafting from the glass. "Are you trying to kill me? That smells like ass!"

"It's a hangover remedy."

"It's nuclear waste. I'm not drinking it."

"It'll make you feel better..."

"How? By making me barf up an internal organ? No, thanks, Kendall."

"It works, trust me."

Greenlee gave Kendall a knowing look. "Oh? You drank some?"

"Well, no," Kendall stammered. "I thought I'd let you have the first drink."

"Wow, Kendall, your generosity is overwhelming. So, I'm a guinea pig?"

"No, of course not... I wouldn't make a guinea pig drink this stuff..." She glanced at Greenlee. "I mean, I wouldn't waste this on a guinea pig!"

"I'd rather suffer, thanks."

Kendall put the glass down on the table. "We need to do something, Greenlee. My head feels like a balloon still taking on air."

"Have you tried a little hair of the dog?"

"We don't have a dog." She looked around the room. "Will the cat work? Where's Leo?"

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Not actual dog hair, you doofus! Have a glass of wine!"

"Why would I drink wine?! That's how we got into the predicament in the first place!" Kendall got up and hurried toward the kitchen. "Maybe a Bloody Mary would work."

"A Bloody Mary!" Greenlee exclaimed. "Are you crazy?!" She jumped up off the sofa and quickly followed. "You're going to put vodka on top of all that wine?"

"Hey, they're supposed to work."

"So is that Red Eye thing, but if you think I'm drinking whiskey, Tabasco sauce and tomato juice with a raw egg in it, you're still drunk."

"Well, what do you suggest?"

Greenlee grinned. "Throwing up again might help..."

Kendall waved her off. "No, I already tried that. It didn't work." She opened the refrigerator. "Man, there has to be something..."

"You know, the last time you tried to make something in here, you ended up with homemade bricks."

"You just have no imagination."

Greenlee started for the door. "Yeah, whatever gets you through the night, Beanpole."

"Spoil sport!" Kendall shouted after the retreating woman. Then she grabbed her head. "Owww."

xxxxxxx

After a light meal, Bianca and Maggie took Miranda for a walk down the Champs Elysees before returning home. As they approached the building, the same Aston-Martin Maggie had spied before sat in front of a nearby building.

"Oh, man!" she exclaimed. "There it is again! Jeez, Binks, imagine driving around Paris in that car!" She moved closer, eagerly wanting to look inside, but obviously nervous about getting too close to such a handsome machine. "What a car!" She pulled back and glanced at Bianca. "They make a convertible, too."

"Maggie, why does that car fascinate you so much?"

Maggie looked at Bianca, her eyes bugging wide. "Are you kidding me? Have you seen a sexier looking car in all your life?" She shook her head. "That thing just screams sex appeal."

Bianca gave Maggie a look. "A _car_ screams sex appeal?"

They started toward the door to their building, Maggie picking up the front of Miranda's stroller as the doorman held the door open for them, easing the front of the stroller over the large threshold. Bianca smiled at how casual and natural Maggie's actions were, something so ingrained now about helping raise a child.

"Didn't you see it, Bianca?" Maggie asked dreamily. "It's all curves and smooth lines, just begging for you to run your hand down its gentle curves. To slip into the drivers seat and grip the steering wheel in both hands, sinking into the soft leather, feeling it form to you like a glove." Her voice dropped in timbre, becoming husky and sensual. "The rumble of the V12 engine, waiting to unleash all those horses… the wind in your hair as you let loose on the open highway, that incredibly powerful vibration beneath you that you can feel all the way into your soul…"

Bianca was starting to sweat. Was she describing a car or making love to it?

"Seriously, Binks," Maggie continued, opening the door to the apartment and following her into the den. "You, me, the open road. Driving until we just don't want to go any further…"

"It's just a car, Tiger."

"It's not just a car! It's an _Aston-Martin_!"

Kendall and Greenlee looked up from their respective fashion magazines at the pair's arrival.

"Aston-Martin?" Greenlee asked. "Isn't that who Demi Moore's married to?"

"You saw Aston Martin and Demi Moore?!" Kendall exclaimed. "When? Where? What was she wearing?"

Maggie sighed. Women… "First off, it's Ashton Kutchar, you dimwits. And second, it was an _Aston-Martin_!"

"You saw an Aston-Martin?" Zach asked from the doorway. "Where?"

"Out on the street!" Maggie replied, beaming at her new gearhead friend. "The V12 Vanquish."

"What is an Ashton-Martin?" Greenlee asked.

"It's ASTON!" Maggie shouted.

"What is it!" Kendall shouted back.

"Only the greatest sports car known to man," Zach replied. "It's a 48-valve, 520 horsepower hand built thing of beauty." He smiled at Maggie. "When I was young, my father had an Aston-Martin. The DB6 or 7, I believe. He let me drive it once…" Zach sighed, actually sighed! "It was the sweetest machine I've ever put my hands on."

"Watch it, Buster," Kendall growled.

Greenlee shook her head. "So, did you see Demi Moore or not?"

xxxxxx

Two hours later and Bianca was amazed that Zach and Maggie were still raving about that stupid car. Aston-Martin this and Vanquish that. Talk about leather interior, special colored brake calpurnia's or something, hand-built engines and a huge music system was all she heard.

Although, watching Maggie talking about that car, using her hands to describe the lines of the vehicle, as though she was running her fingers over the smooth, gentle curves, caused a fine layer of sweat to pop out along her hairline. In an instant, Maggie looked like a giant t-bone steak and Bianca was suddenly ravenous.

She jumped to her feet, startling Kendall into almost falling off the sofa beside her.

"Maggie?" she croaked. Clearing her throat, she continued. "Would you help me, please?" She quickly exited the den without looking back.

"Sure, Bianca," Maggie replied, following her girlfriend after shrugging at the others.

Bianca led the way upstairs to the bedroom and the minute the door closed behind them, she spun on Maggie, pinning her to the wall and kissing her hungrily. After a token resistance, Maggie moaned into the kiss and slid her arms around Bianca, pulling her closer.

Wrapping her arms around Maggie's waist, Bianca turned them and backed Maggie towards the bed.

"Bianca," Maggie managed to gasp as the kiss broke and Bianca began a delicious assault on her neck. "What's going on? Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?"

Shoving Maggie onto the bed, Bianca stretched out beside her, leaning over the blonde to kiss her again. "Shut up, Maggie."

Maggie chuckled sexily. "Well, well, well, I was beginning to wonder where Bad Bianca had gone…"

Her hands fumbling with Maggie's belt and her lips buried in Maggie's neck, Bianca growled. "Shut up, Maggie, and help me."

"So…," Maggie murmured, giving Bianca a push so she could pull off her t-shirt. "If I'm a gearhead, what does that make you?"

With a huff of indignation at the delay, Bianca pulled back, shoving a lock of hair behind her ear. "What does that mean?"

"You got all hot and bothered over that car talk, didn't you?"

Bianca looked at Maggie for a long moment, trying in vain to come up with a reply that wouldn't implicate her. After racking her brain, she gave up, falling onto Maggie and kissing her deeply, effectively shutting off all forms of communication save one.

Maggie didn't seem to mind.

xxxx

"They're mating again, aren't they?" Greenlee asked. Kendall just nodded. "Wow... that's... I wish I had that kind of stamina." She looked at her curly haired friend. "Can you imagine? I mean, they're having sex _all_ the _time_! Morning, noon and night! It's incredible. It's amazing. It's awe-inspiring. It's-."

"It's my sister!" Kendall shrieked. "I don't want to hear about my sweet, innocent baby sister having sex! I don't want to hear about _you_ having sex!"

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "_I'd_ like to hear about me having sex..."

"I don't mind, either," Zach added.

"You shut up, you... you... you, _man_, you!" Kendall yelled at him.

He shrugged. "What?"

"And apparently, innocent little Binks ain't that innocent," Greenlee muttered.

xxxx

Bianca reached up and used both hands to push the hair off Maggie's forehead as the warm water cascaded over them. "How's that?" she asked. "Better?"

Maggie ran her hands up Bianca's water-slicked back. "Mmm, much." She leaned forward and brushed a kiss along Bianca's jaw. "I can't believe I used to hate taking a shower when I was a kid."

"Well, I know for a fact that they were never this much fun when I was little."

"It does explain a few things, though," Maggie murmured, reaching out with her tongue to catch a drop of water rolling sensually down Bianca's throat.

"What's that?" Bianca replied on a gasping breath.

"Now I know why I was always trying to get you into the lake back in Pine Valley." She reached up and nibbled at Bianca's earlobe. "You look good like this."

"Mmm, so do you…"

For the one hundredth – no, one thousandth - time, Bianca thanked the housing people at Cambias for the features of this apartment, the big 32-inch square waterfall showerhead chiefly among them. _Nothing like getting caught in a rainstorm with Maggie every time we take a shower together_, Bianca thought, nuzzling her nose deep into Maggie's sweet-smelling hair. She nibbled at Maggie's neck then took a sharp nip at the skin.

"Hey!" Maggie squeaked, startled by the stinging bite. She smacked Bianca on the rear. "Trying to turn me into a vampire, there, Boom Boom, or just marking your territory?"

Bianca laved the now-tender skin with her tongue. "Would it bother you if I gave you a hickey?"

"Not at all," Maggie laughed. "We've been studying ecchymosis and contusions in class. I'd probably get an A for practical studies."

"Well, I didn't mean for it to be part of show and tell."

"But it would be the best show and tell ever," Maggie said girlishly. "Can I, please? Huh? Please? Can I? Can I? Please? Huh, please?"

Bianca chuckled, still kissing Maggie's neck. "Keep begging like that and you can do whatever you want."

"Ooh," Maggie murmured. "The possibilities."

Bianca pushed Maggie against the wall of the shower, kissing her hungrily as the warm water poured over them. Maggie's hands worked their way into Bianca's wet hair, tangling tightly in the wet strands and holding her close.

"Bed," Bianca gasped, pulling back momentarily to suck in a lungful of air. "Now."

"You can walk?" Maggie asked in surprise.

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Reaching around blindly, Maggie shut off the water while Bianca grabbed a fluffy white towel to wrap the two of them up in. Stumbling, trying to dry themselves off while maintaining bodily contact, they made their way into the bedroom. Catching her heel on the edge of the towel, Maggie sent them tumbling against the dresser, only to be caught by Bianca before they fell to the floor. Laughing and snagging a kiss, Maggie staggered backwards again, feeling behind her for the bed. In her haste, Bianca backed Maggie right up to the little step stool and they staggered again, falling hard against the nightstand before collapsing onto the bed.

Bianca tossed the towel aside as they burrowed under the covers and made their way into each others arms once more. Despite their playful fumbling, when Bianca caught Maggie's parted lips under hers with erotic tenderness, it took Maggie by surprise. Bianca caressed and coaxed Maggie's mouth with her lips, touching softly, then firmly, withdrawing to nibble gently, capturing Maggie's upper lip between both of hers. Despite Maggie's attempts to draw Bianca in, Bianca kept on with her teasing and tasting with lips and tongue and teeth.

Then Bianca kissed her properly, deep and long, until the spiraling circle of need and want that began in the pit of Maggie's stomach encompassed her entire body, quickening her breath and heating her blood.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Maggie murmured as their lips, clinging for a split second, finally parted.

"Not a chance, Tiger," Bianca replied, leaning close so their lips were in constant contact. The feel of Bianca speaking against her mouth sent a shiver down Maggie's spine.

"Then you're not trying hard enough," she whispered.

Bianca met Maggie's eyes as her hand floated light as a feather down Maggie's side, scarcely touching as her fingers sliding along Maggie's wrist, feeling the pulse beating a rapid tattoo against her skin, creating an instantaneous response that Maggie couldn't hide. Fingers lacing together, holding so tightly as if letting go meant spinning off the face of the earth, their lips met once more and the everyday world ceased to exist.

Making love, falling in love, tumbling out of control. Eternity didn't seem nearly long enough for either of them to quench their desire for one another.

xxxxx

"Maggie?"

"Yeah?" Maggie mumbled sleepily, her face buried in Bianca's neck.

"What are brake calpurnia's?"

Maggie snorted into Bianca's throat, not a wholly unpleasant sensation as far as Bianca was concerned then pushed herself up onto her elbows. "Do you mean brake _calipers_?" she asked.

"I guess so. What are they?"

Maggie brushed a lock of hair off Bianca's forehead. "They're a part of the brakes on a car."

"Why are they colored?"

"No reason, just to make the car look different. Most cars have regular calipers that don't stand out. Some cars offer colored ones."

"And the Aston-Martin offers colored ones?"

"Yeah, they do."

"Okay."

Maggie's eyebrows knitted together. "Why the interest in brake calipers?"

Bianca managed to shrug a shoulder. "No reason. You and Zach seemed pretty excited about them."

"Well, it was the car as a whole, not just the calipers. It's a beautiful car."

"You really like it, huh?"

With a chuckle, Maggie pulled Bianca into her arms. "Well, there aren't a whole lot of them on the road, really. Maybe someday when I'm a famous pediatric surgeon I'll be able to afford one." She sighed. "Then again, maybe I'll stick to something a little more in my price range."

Bianca nuzzled into Maggie's neck as she wrapped an arm around Maggie's waist. _And maybe you won't have to wait that long_, she thought. _You deserve a little happiness, Maggie. And I'm going to give it to you._

xxxx

The following Monday in her office, Bianca sat back in her chair and played with her Mont Blanc fountain pen. Thoughts of Maggie and her reaction to that Aston-Martin kept filling her head, making it difficult for her to concentrate on the mountain of paperwork on her desk. Suddenly making up her mind, she picked up the phone and dialed her assistant. "Guylene, could you please get me the head of the motor pool?"

"Oui, Mademoiselle Montgomery."

The phone rang three times before a gruff male voice answered. ''ello!" the man bellowed.

"Bon jour, this is Bianca Montgomery. Who is this?"

"Oh, hello, Ms. Montgomery," the man replied with a self-conscious cough. Bianca could envision him quickly wiping his hands on an oil rag in an effort to make himself presentable, even over the phone. "This is Ian McDaniel. What can I do for you?"

"I want you to order an Aston-Martin Vanquish. Top of the line. Whatever it takes, I want it by the end of the month."

There was stunned silence. "Ma'am?"

Bianca sat back in her chair. "Is there something you don't understand? I want an Aston-Martin Vanquish. I want it by the end of the month and I want it delivered to my residence. It will be registered to Cambias but is to be used exclusively by Maggie Stone. Is that understood?"

There was another long pause on the other end of the line, then a chuckle. "Yes, Miss Montgomery. I understand completely"

"Good. I want to give Maggie a little something from her girls."

"Anything you say, Miss Montgomery. Is there any particular color you want?"

"Black- no, graphite- no, they have this really sharp Navy color. That one."

"Yes, Miss Montgomery, I'll order it today."

"Thank you, Mr. McDaniel." She paused. "Um, Ian," she murmured, clearing her throat nervously while tucking a lock of ebony hair behind her ear. "Can I talk to you about brake calipers?"

"Ma'am?"

xxxx

Greenlee sat on the sofa, the French version of Cosmo in her hands, trying to concentrate on the latest prêt a porter fashions as Maggie and Bianca bustled about preparing Miranda for a day at the park. If they stopped one more time to kiss each other as Miranda giggled and talked to herself, Greenlee was sure she would run screaming out into traffic.

"Did you get her bottle?" Maggie asked.

Bianca sighed. "For the 10th time, Maggie, yes, I got her bottle. And another one. And a container full of Cheerio's for a snack. And some Pull-Ups. Plus two toys, a thing of sliced apples and a jacket if she gets cold."

"Okay, okay." Maggie reached up and kissed Bianca on the lips. "Sorry."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. She began flipping pages in the magazine harder. There was sexy giggling and suggestive whispering behind her, where Maggie and Bianca were standing, causing her to snap the pages she was turning. At the sound of yet another smacking kiss, a Gucci ad ripped, suddenly wadded up in her fist.

"Okay," Maggie said cheerily. "That's everything. Let's go."

"Okay." Bianca carried Miranda towards the door. "We're leaving, now, Greenlee. We'll see you later, okay?

"Yeah, whatever," Greenlee replied, still frustratedly turning pages.

Maggie's brow furrowed and she glanced at Bianca, who shrugged in return. "See ya, Greenpea."

"Goodbye, already!"

Shaking their heads, Bianca and Maggie left, laughing noisily all the way out the front door. After several moments, the door finally closed and Greenlee sighed.

"Finally," she said to the cat lying on the sofa beside her. He simply yawned and went back to grooming himself.

Barely a millisecond later, the front door bounced open. Masculine laughter and feminine giggling floated into the den.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Greenlee muttered. "From one sexed-up pair to another."

Stumbling into the den, wrapped in each others arms, the Slater's were joined at the lips.

"Za-ach," Kendall sing-songed, as the tall Irishman attacked her throat. "Stop it."

To Greenlee, it certainly didn't sound like Kendall was putting up any kind of fight. She rolled her eyes at the cat, who was now looking at her questioningly. _I don't get it, either_, he seemed to say_. I'm neutered._

Suddenly fed up, Greenlee threw down her magazine. "Quit it!" she screamed. "Quit! It!" Kendall and Zach pulled apart, giving Greenlee a curious _you have a third eye in the middle of your forehead_ kind of look. "Stop macking on each other! My God, I'm _right here_! Have you not heard of a hotel room? Some privacy? This is not Showtime! And even if it were, I'd rather watch _The L Word_ than you two!"

"What's wrong?" Kendall asked.

"What's wrong? What's _wrong_?! What the hell do you think is wrong, you extraordinarily skinny bean pole?!"

"Greenlee-," Zach cut in.

"Oh, shut it, Mr. Dark-and-brooding-with-the-gentle-heart-of-a-poet-guy!" she snapped. Zach's only response was a stoically quirked eyebrow. "Yeah, that doesn't scare me!" she informed him. Then she crossed her arms over her chest and rolled a shoulder. "Okay, that doesn't scare me as much as it used to."

"What is your problem?" Kendall asked again.

"What is my problem? _What_ is my _problem_?!"

Kendall threw up her hands and looked at Zach. "Not one, but two echoes." She turned back to Greenlee. "Uh, yeah, what is your problem. You wanna repeat it again?"

"Kiss my lily white ass, Kendall Hart- or should I say Slater! First, I'm sitting here minding my own business and I have to listen to Ellen and Portia giggling and kissing while they're getting ready to take the papoose to the park. Then, as soon as the poster children for alternative lifestyle tolerance get out of the house, I have to suffer through you two, the paragons of heterosexual hedonism."

"I see Greenlee's been reading the dictionary again," Zach deadpanned. "Just got to the 'H's', I'm guessing."

"Oh…. Go reproduce yourself!"

"What?!"

Kendall turned to Zach and put her hands on his chest, patting reassuringly. "I think she was telling you to… ef off…"

Zach looked from his wife to Greenlee. "Why can't you curse like normal people?"

"I'm not normal people!" Greenlee shouted.

"I want it noted that _I_ did not say that," Zach informed Kendall.

"Get out!" Greenlee practically shrieked, stomping a delicate Manolo-shod foot. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

"Go," Kendall urged her husband. "I'll take care of this." She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Go."

"I've had it!" Greenlee exclaimed, watching them kiss then Zach quickly departing the premises. She jumped up and rifled quickly through the desk. "Where's the phone book, I need a date. How the hell do you say escort in French?"

Kendall gave her a look as Greenlee flipped quickly through the yellow pages. "Escort."

"Oh, ha-ha."

"I'm serious, Greenlee, it's the same word, it just has an 'e' at the end of it," Kendall replied, but quickly wrested the phone book from the smaller woman's hands. "But I doubt they have a listing for gigolos in the Paris yellow pages."

"Well, they should! It's _Paris_, for crying out loud. They think people don't want to get their freak on every now and then over here?"

"Okay, first off, you're not hooking up with an escort or anything like that. And second, please, don't ever, ever, _ever_ say 'get their freak on' ever again." Gently, Kendall took Greenlee's hands in her own and led her to the sofa, pulling her down beside her. "Tell me what's going on, Greenlee."

"Nothing," Greenlee sulked.

Kendall sighed. "Talk to me, you midget."

"Wow, how can I resist when you're so full of compassion."

"Greenlee."

"Kendall."

"Stop it."

"You stop it."

"Shut up and talk!" Kendall shouted. Greenlee just looked at her. "Oh, you know what I mean."

With a sigh, Greenlee fell back onto the sofa. "I'm tired, Kendall," she said softly. "I'm just so tired."

"Tired of what, Greenlee? Talk to me."

"I'm tired," Greenlee murmured in a pain-soaked voice, "of being alone. Of watching you and Zach and our very own version of _Kissing Jessica Stein_ all kissy and canoodly…" Jack's daughter sighed. "I'm tired of not having what you guys have."

"Oh, Greens..."

"You and Zach, Bianca and Maggie. You're all so freakin' happy. I want to be that happy. I want to have someone who loves me like that. I want to be loved like that. I want to have sex!" Greenlee got up and stalked to the window. "I _really_ want to have sex…"

"So get out there! Start dating!"

Greenlee threw out her hands. "Hello! France!"

"Hey, that didn't stop me."

"Huh, your boy-toy chased you from the good ol' US of A."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about Jean-Paul. He wasn't exactly an All-American kinda guy, you know."

"I can't do the nightclub scene, Kendall. I mean… seriously…"

"I'm not suggesting you become a barfly, Greenlee, but when the guy at the bakery smiles at you, smile back. That guy at the café last week, he was into you, he couldn't take his eyes off you."

"Are you kidding me? He had on a striped suit with a plaid shirt and a paisley tie!"

"See?!" Kendall crowed. "How French is _that_?!"

Greenlee shook her head suddenly. "That asshole."

"Excuse me? He may have been fashionally challenged, but that's no reason to call him names."

"I meant Ryan," Greenlee replied softly. She sighed and gave Kendall a poignant smile. "I did love him, you know. I really fell in love with him… you know, when I broke up your wedding and you decided we needed to play Krystal and Alexis in the fountain and then we got married. Me and Ryan, I mean."

Kendall tried to hide her smile at the memory of her and Greenlee floundering in that fountain until Ryan jumped in and pulled them apart, and the indelible image of Simone standing on the sidelines screaming. Or cheering them on, she couldn't really decide which it was.

"Yeah… thanks, by the way, for stopping me from marrying that jacka-." She stopped suddenly and cleared her throat. "Um, thanks…"

"You're welcome. I wish you could have returned the favor."

"Yeah, me, too." Kendall moved to Greenlee's side and they stood in companionable silence, looking out the window at the Eiffel Tower. "I'm sorry, Greenlee," Kendall whispered softly. "I really am sorry Ryan turned out to be such a stupid idiot."

"I guess it never occurred to him that I had already been widowed once, and that having it happen again wouldn't nearly destroy me."

"Ryan's comprehension skills are seriously lacking," Kendall agreed. _And he could certainly be a heartless S.O.B. at times_, she thought to herself. _What a brilliant plan. Pretend to be dead so your adoring wife, who's already had to bury one husband, will have to do it again. Nothing mean or cruel about that…_ "And I'm sorry Ryan wasn't Leo."

"I see him everywhere, you know" Greenlee murmured suddenly, "I think I see Leo and then when I get close, it's not Leo. It'll never be Leo. And that breaks my heart all over again."

"Greens..."

"Don't call me that," Greenlee managed to snap softly, wiping at the tears in her eyes before they ruined her mascara. "I am _not_ a salad."

Kendall smirked. "Welcome back, O Hostile One." Greenlee smacked her on the arm. "I'm serious, Greenlee. Get out there. Make yourself available. Leo was French – or of French decent – it would make sense that they make them like him over here."

"It wouldn't be the same."

"Yeah, maybe so, but there's be sex involved."

"Good point." Greenlee sighed. "Thanks."

Kendall turned to face Greenlee and leaned a shoulder against the wall. "You deserve to be happy, Greenlee. And not have to deal with any of the pain, you've been through enough."

Greenlee smiled at Kendall. "Thank you."

Suddenly, Kendall's eyes popped open. "Oh, my God, if you tell _anyone_ I was nice to you, I'll snatch you bald and send you out in polyester stretchy pants!"

Greenlee snorted. "Trust me, you praying mantis, no one would believe me anyway." There was a pause. "I mean it, thanks."

"Alright, already, don't let it go to your head. You just caught me in a weak moment."

"Jeez, how gracious, you stick. Forget I said anything."

"Trust me, you shrimp, already forgotten."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Why do I even try?" she asked, throwing up her hands in frustration and stomping away. "Honestly!"

"You're welcome!" Kendall shouted at the smaller woman's retreating back. "We'll start working on this tomorrow! Okay?!"

"Okay!"

"Don't thank me!"

"I won't!"

Kendall turned back to the window, her lips gently curving into a smile. It echoed the one lighting up Greenlee's eyes.

xxxx

Paris, France

June 2006

Maggie slammed the door shut, dumping her backpack on the floor as she rushed into the den. "Hey, Binks! There's a Vanquish parked in front of the building! Didja see it? Wow! What a gorgeous car!! It's dark blue! And it has red brake calipers!" She dragged Bianca over to the balcony so they could look down at the car parked in front of the doors to the building. "Can you see it?"

Bianca laughed, thrilled by Maggie's childlike joy at the automobile below. "Yeah, I know it's there."

"How did you know? You've been home all day." She pulled Bianca back into the den. "Plus, you don't know anything about cars."

"I know it's there because it's yours," Bianca told her, grinning happily at the surprise. "They called when they delivered it."

Maggie's mind went blank, not comprehending the words coming out of Bianca's mouth. "Excuse me?" she asked, her excitement dampened immediately.

"Well, it belongs to Cambias Industries, but I ordered it for you."

"You what?" she mumbled in confusion.

"I ordered it for you. You really liked them and I thought you'd love to be able to drive one. It was a surprise for you… Surprise!"

Some irrational thought jumped into Maggie's head, some completely unfounded and unwarranted thought that she was just another plaything to the person she loved, loved in return but more like a pet than an equal. Sudden insecurities she had all but destroyed over the past year exploded to the surface as if a long dormant volcano had suddenly erupted. And there was nothing Maggie could do to stop herself from falling back into an old, familiar pattern.

"You don't have to buy me things so I'll keep sleeping with you, you know," Maggie snapped, going on the offensive almost instinctively. The room fell silent as Bianca sat back, as stunned by Maggie's words as if she'd been slapped. And almost as quickly as it happened, the fog suddenly cleared from Maggie's mind. "Oh. God, Bianca, I didn't mean that." She saw the pain her words had caused before Bianca lowered her eyes. "Bianca, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. You know I didn't mean it. Please, tell me you know I didn't mean it."

Still unable to meet Maggie's eyes, Bianca got up from the sofa, pushing a lock of hair nervously behind her ear as she began to pick up Miranda's toys. "It's okay, Maggie, I'll just- I'll have someone come pick up the car and we'll put it in the motor pool at the office."

"Bianca." Maggie jumped up and hurried to Bianca's side, taking her hand before she could pick up another stuffed Disney character. "Look at me."

Bianca swallowed hard. "I'm not sure I can right now."

"Please," Maggie begged. Finally, Bianca looked up, the unshed tears swimming in her eyes making Maggie's heart constrict in her chest. "I'm sorry, Binks. I am so sorry. I didn't mean it at all. I just… I just…"

"What, Maggie? You just what?"

Maggie sighed. "I just feel bad when you buy me things, Bianca," she muttered ruefully, "because I can't buy things for you. I don't have the money to shower you with gifts like I want to. And stuff like this reminds me of that…"

Bianca closed her eyes and huffed in frustration. "I don't care about that, Maggie."

"Yeah, well, I do." Maggie sighed. "You've got money Bianca, you always have. And I don't. And I want to be able to give you things and I can't. It's bad enough I already feel like a mooch."

"What? Why would you feel like that?!"

"Take a look around you, Bianca!" Maggie threw her arms open wide. "I'm living rent free in this incredible mansion of an apartment in the heart of Paris! I'm going to medical school over here without having to put out a cent of my own money-."

"Hey, that was David's choice to set up that college fund for you-."

"I don't contribute in any way!" Maggie shouted over Bianca's protestations. Then she took a breath as the room fell silent again. "I don't contribute to this family of ours."

Bianca's eyebrows knitted. "Maggie?" The blonde stayed silent and Bianca took her hand, pulling her over to the sofa so they could sit. "You contribute far more than you know, Maggie. You always have."

"I don't know if I can believe you about that."

"Maggie, having you here, with me and Miranda… it gets me through every single day. Knowing I'm going to see your beautiful face, to listen to the beat of your heart… knowing that your shoulder is going to hold my head if I need it. Having your strength to keep me going… That's worth more than any amount of money."

"Bianca-."

Bianca held up a hand to stop Maggie. "I didn't buy you this car because I'm trying to buy your love. Or to remind you that you're here on the Cambias dime. I bought this car because I saw how happy it made you when you saw one on the road. When I saw your face light up when you and Zach were talking about stupid brake calipers. I just thought it would make you happy. Like the way you make me happy. It was just a gift."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "A 260 thousand dollar gift, Bianca."

"Which doesn't even come close to the price of the gift I've gotten, Maggie. Not at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Maggie, I love you. And I don't know if you realize just how much you mean to me. _You're_ the gift I've been given, Tiger. You. You're this perfect gift that's been given to me and I would do anything for you." Bianca sighed and cupped Maggie's cheek in her hand. "You keep saying how lucky you are that you have me, that I love you. Maggie, I don't know if you understand just what having your love, your heart, means to me. Even before, when we were just friends, you were the reason I could get up every morning. Your strength. Your heart and soul, you gave everything for me. I could never repay you for the love you've given me. You saved my life, Maggie. And you gave me the will to love again with my whole being." Bianca shook her head. "This car is just a token. And obviously a poor one, but I'm not trying to buy you, Maggie. That's the furthest thing from my mind. I just want to give you things that make you happy. I like seeing you happy."

"I don't need expensive gifts, Bianca."

"I know that, Maggie, I do. But I kinda wanted to give you something tangible. You know you have my heart. You have my soul. The car… well, Miranda has all this money lying around and if she had her way, we'd live in a big walk-in Elmo that giggles." Maggie cracked a smile at that, giving Bianca a bit of hope. "It's just money, Maggie. Honestly, other than as Miranda's legacy, it means nothing to me. If I can make you smile by buying you some stupid car, then I'd spend whatever it took to do just that." Bianca reached up and brushed a lock of hair off Maggie's forehead. "You're the biggest part of my heart, Maggie. You and Miranda. You have been since the moment I met you."

Maggie gave her a crooked little grin. "You thought I was Frankie."

"No," Bianca whispered with a shake of her head. "That was the moment I _saw_ you. The moment I met you was when you told me your name. It may have taken me a while, but I finally saw the difference between you two. I didn't know Frankie very long before… before…" Bianca stopped and swallowed the sudden raw lump in her throat, watching as the tears welled up in Maggie's eyes. "But I figured out your differences. Despite your tough-guy image, you were so much softer than Frankie. So much more gentle. I love Frankie, I do. And I always will. But, Maggie, I don't know if she would have stood by me like you did, or taken care of me like you did, or supported me like you did. Frankie was tough, too, but you've always been the strong one." Taking Maggie's hands in hers, Bianca twined their fingers together, pulling them to her chest before pressing a kiss to Maggie's knuckles. "I never would have made it without you. Never."

"I think you would have been alright, Bianca."

"Luckily, we'll never really know, will we?"

Maggie gave Bianca a little smile. "No, I guess not."

"So... you want to go for a ride?"

"Bianca..."

"Come on, Maggie. If I put the car into the Motor Pool, some jerk like Bertrand will be driving it before they get it parked in the garage. Drive the car. Enjoy it. Please? For me?"

Maggie looked down at their clasped hands, a little embarrassed by Bianca's pleading. "Bianca..." she whispered again.

"Okay, if not for me, then how about for Miranda? It was her money that paid for the car."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Bianca grinned. "Nope."

Finally, Maggie sighed. "Okay."

"Yay," Bianca cheered, pulling Maggie into her arms. "Thank you, Maggie." She kissed Maggie quickly then jumped to her feet. "Come on, let's go for a ride."

Suddenly, Maggie grinned that wonderful lop-sided grin. "Can we?" she asked shyly.

Bianca reached for the keys that sat on the coffee table. "Yeah, Maggie, we can."

"Okay, come on." She grabbed Bianca's hand and quickly pulled her along behind, suddenly excited to get her hands on that Aston-Martin.

"Okay, Tiger," Bianca laughed as Maggie pulled her across the building lobby, "you're about to pull my arm out of the socket. Slow down just a little."

"Hey, this was your idea."

"Yeah, I'm beginning to question my own judgment." She waited while Maggie unlocked the car and held the door open for her. "Thank you," she whispered as Maggie helped her in before running around to the other side.

"So, where should we go-?" Maggie stopped suddenly after opening the driver's door. "What the hell..."

Bianca blushed shyly, carefully tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Do you like it?"

"Bianca," Maggie breathed softly.

"I think Ian did that on his own," Bianca explained. "But I'm glad he did it."

Maggie knelt down by the driver's seat and put her hand to her cheek. She looked up at Bianca with a silly grin on her face. "It's so cool...," she whispered.

"Well, I meant it, Maggie, this car is for you."

"Yeah, I can see that," she chuckled. Carefully, she reached out a hand, brushing her fingers over the stainless steel plaque on the door sill, right next to the driver's seat. _Hand built in England for Maggie Stone_, the plaque read, just below the Aston-Martin winged logo. _From your girls_. She grinned up at Bianca. "Let's go for a ride."

Bianca grinned. "Yeah, let's."

Maggie slid into the drivers seat, letting the soft leather form to her body. Slipping the ECU "key" into the slot in the dashboard, she turned the big V12 engine over, grinning at the deep, sensual rumble that engine created. "Oh, wow..." she murmured. She looked at the gear shift paddles on the steering column "Binks, this is- wow, I mean, this is very different from my old Toyota back in Pine Valley... I mean... what if I break it?"

"First of all, Maggie, you won't break it. Second, if you do, we'll just get another one."

"Oh, yeah?" Maggie laughed.

Bianca just grinned. "Yeah."

Slowly shifting into first using the paddle just behind the steering wheel, Maggie eased the car away from the curb then pulled out onto the street. At the feel of all those horses beneath them, her grin split her face from ear to ear. Bianca couldn't help but return that smile as Maggie maneuvered the car through Paris and out onto the Autoroute. Before long, they were laughing with joy as the car raced over the French countryside beyond Paris and Versailles.

Bianca slowly fell silent, the smile never leaving her face, as she watched Maggie grinning, opening the car up as they reached a long, lightly trafficked stretch of French countryside. Just as Maggie had described, the windows were down, the wind was blowing through their hair as they let loose on the open highway…

The look of joy and childlike abandon on Maggie's face made Bianca's heart swell in her chest. Just when she didn't think she could love the beautiful blonde any more, she found a new depth to her feelings. It amazed her. It kind of frightened her. It made her so immeasurably glad she was alive.

Suddenly, Maggie laughed as she seamlessly switched lanes and roared past a trolley, honking the horn as she blew by the slow moving trailer. The truck driver honked in response and Maggie laughed again. Bianca's heart thundered with joy.

This was a good day.

And when they stopped on their way back in the Foret de Rambouillet and found a secluded spot in order to christen the Vanquish in their own unique way, it was a very good day, indeed…

TBC-

I don't think the title of the chapter fits, but I like it anyway...

P.S. Greenlee is right about the speed of light.


	16. You Can Pick Your Nose

Disclaimer - Action figures sold separately.

Also, thanks to Mello-83 for your incredibly kind words. Reading that, and the great reviews everyone has left for me, is what keeps me writing.

Rating increase to PG-13/R for sexual situations...

**It was nothing at all  
Like anything I had felt before  
And it was nothing at all  
Like I thought no its so much more  
No one else has ever made  
Me feel this way  
When I asked you how you did it  
You just say  
It was nothing at all**

Heart – _Nothin' at All_

Paris, France

Late June 2006

**Chapter 16 – You Can Pick Your Nose, But You Can't Pick Your Family**

Zach groaned. "Oh, my God, this is incredible."

"I know," Maggie murmured. She reached out a comforting hand. "Easy, easy, not so fast."

"But I can't help it."

"Zach, relax, we have all the time in the world. Don't waste your energy."

"Oh, Lord," Zach groaned again. "I don't think I can stop it."

"Slow down!" Bianca and Kendall both shrieked from the back seat, as the Aston-Martin was slingshotted around a high banked curve.

"What do you think this is?!" Kendall shouted. "The autobahn?! Slow down before you get us killed and I have to kill you!" Maggie gave Kendall a look over her shoulder. "Oh, shut up."

Zach laughed. "I have got to get me one of these!" he exclaimed, flooring the accelerator as he quickly shifted gears.

Maggie gave Bianca a look. "You've created a monster."

"Yeah," Bianca replied, settling her elbow on the window and covering her eyes with her hand. She sighed. "I know."

xoxoxoxox

Greenlee stood on the sidewalk outside the apartment building, Miranda a limp bundle in her arms. Growling under her breath, she paced back and forth, watching the cars drive by. Mercedes, Mercedes, Beamer, Jag, ugly car, ugly car, Porsche.

"Argh!" she growled again, stomping her foot. "I never get to have any fun!"

Miranda looked up. "Gweenwee mad?" she asked. "Mad at me?"

Greenlee stopped her pacing. "Oh, no, sweetie, Gweenwee- I mean, Greenlee's not mad at you." She kissed the child on the forehead. "I could never be mad at you."

"Mad at Momma an' 'Aggie?"

"No, not your Momma or Maggie, either."

"Mad at Aunt Kenah an' Unca Zap?"

_Wow, what an intelligent kid_, Greenlee thought. _And she has Erica Kane's genes? Whoda thunk it?_ "Yeah, honey, I guess so."

Miranda nodded knowingly. "Aunt Kenah and Unca Zap silly," she informed Greenlee. "They kiss awot. More'n Momma and 'Aggie. Sometimes? Sometimes I go 'ick' 'cause they kiss so much."

Greenlee snorted. "Yeah, me, too, kiddo."

"Gweenwee?"

"Yeah, Sweetie?"

"You kiss someone awot?"

Greenlee sighed, her breath hitching a bit as thoughts of Leo, then Ryan, raced through her head. She smiled at the little girl. "Yeah, Honey, I do."

Miranda gave her a perplexed look. "Who?" she asked innocently.

"You!" Greenlee exclaimed, burying her face in Miranda's neck and blowing a raspberry, making the little girl squeal and giggle.

"Stop!" Miranda giggled, clearly wanting Greenlee to do no such thing. She wiggled in Greenlee's arms. "Stop, Greenwee!!"

Blowing on last raspberry on Miranda's neck, Greenlee hitched the little girl higher on her hip and smiled at her. Miranda leaned in and kissed Greenlee on the cheek, turning it into a raspberry at the very end. Surprised, Greenlee looked at the child and they both started laughing.

Suddenly, a dark blue Aston-Martin V12 Vanquish skidded to a stop next to the curb in front of them.

"They're back," Greenlee whispered to Miranda. "It's about time."

"'Bout time," Miranda repeated.

Zach leapt from the car, his eyes glowing with intensity. "That was fantastic!" he exclaimed. His gaze zeroed in on Kendall as she climbed out of the backseat. "Fantastic," he repeated, his deep voice dropping another octave with obvious desire.

Maggie helped Bianca out of the car, her eyes straying to Zach. His laser beam vision was locked onto his wife and she at that moment became aware of it herself. Kendall blossomed a lovely shade of soft pink, the corners of her lips curling upwards ever so slightly as she demurely dropped her gaze.

"Oh, God," Maggie muttered under her breath at the look of pure sex that passed between the Slater's.

"Aw, crap," Greenlee added.

Bianca glanced from her sister to her brother-in-law then chanced a look at Maggie. "Was that me yesterday?" she asked in awe.

"Oh, yeah."

"Wow…"

Zach advanced on Kendall like a lion stalking its prey and Greenlee immediately backed up, covering Miranda's eyes with a hand. "Okay, there is no way I'm going upstairs with those two," she informed Miranda's parents.

"Um, me, either," Maggie agreed. She herded Bianca toward Greenlee and Miranda, away from the mating dance taking place in front of them. "Let's go for a walk, what do you say?"

Bianca stumbled over the curb. "Sounds good to me."

"Yeah, me, too," Greenlee added, turning quickly up the street. "Come on, let's go." She hurried away. "Congrats, Mags," she tossed back over her shoulder. "You're driving a big blue Viagra-mobile!"

Behind them, Zach took Kendall by the hand and led her into the apartment building, determination and… something more… darkening his face. Kendall suddenly felt goose bumps dance up her arms, the intense feeling of desire sending a shiver along her delicate spine.

Before the door to the elevator closed completely, Zach had pressed Kendall up against the wall and kissed her passionately.

Down the street, the four women walked toward the Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe, Maggie and Bianca hand-in-hand a few paces behind Miranda and Greenlee.

Miranda patted Greenlee on the cheek as they walked. "No say 'cwap', Aunt Gweenwee," she admonished.

Greenlee gave Miranda a look. "Wow, that's quite a memory you got, there, kid." Suddenly, her eyes began to sparkle. "We may be able to use that to our advantage someday, shorty. Okay?"

Miranda just looked at her and smiled. "Otay," she agreed, without understanding anything Greenlee was suggesting.

"Cool."

"Coo..."

xoxox

Later that evening, after Zach and Kendall decided to come up for air, the unconventional family of 6 went out for a late dinner. They chose to head away from the Champs Elysee and the tourists now flooding into their fair city and decided on a quiet restaurant not far from the apartment.

As they strolled down Avenue Victor Hugo in the unusually warm summer night air, Greenlee grumbled to herself about the two loving couples and the apparent amount of sex going on that _she_ was not enjoying. Kendall rolled her eyes and made a silent vow to herself to get the smaller woman laid by the end of the week. The end of the night would be preferable, but she was putting a lot of expectations on the unknown, and unwitting, man.

They arrived at Brasserie de la Poste and were shown to a table, their waitress handing out menus and taking their drink order. A few minutes later, Kendall noticed Greenlee's attention was focused elsewhere and not on what Kendall was proselytizing on about.

_I am _not _proselytizing_, Kendall thought to herself, _I am merely expressing my own, well-thought out and correct opinion._ Then she shook her head, wondering why she felt she needed to defend herself to herself.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw a well-dressed, very attractive man giving Greenlee a slight smile. Swinging her head back around to her diminutive business partner, she saw the woman was blushing slightly. Blushing!

"Flirting, six o'clock," she murmured in an aside to Bianca.

Bianca glanced at her watch. Eight-fifteen. "What?"

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's the last time we do 'Alias' speak, because you just don't get it." She gave Bianca a look, motioning not-so-subtly with her head back behind them. "There's a guy back there, _at six o'clock_, flirting with Greenlee."

"Oh?"

"Yes, 'oh'!"

Both Bianca and Maggie turned to check out the flirting man then glanced over at Greenlee. She was still blushing.

"She's blushing," Maggie murmured in awe. "Amazing…"

"Okay, how to we establish contact?" Kendall whispered, leaning closer to her sister in a conspiratorial manner. "Get her laid and relaxed again."

"Kendall!" Bianca exclaimed.

"What? You want her interrupting _you_ some night?"

"Hey, good point," Maggie agreed. "Would it be too much if I just went over there and told him she was hot for his bod?"

"No-."

"Yes-!"

"You're no fun, Bianca," Kendall muttered, crossing her arms in defiance.

"This isn't a singles bar, Kendall," Bianca retorted. "There has to be a better way to do this."

"Buy him a drink," Maggie suggested.

"Her name and phone number on a card," Kendall added.

"Invite him over."

"A neon sign!"

Bianca sighed. "Let's start with sending him a drink."

"Deal!" Kendall quickly called over the waitress and ordered a Pernod aperitif to be sent over the man's table.

Shaking her head, Bianca just smiled at Kendall's enthusiasm. Maggie leaned close to the brunette, her lips against Bianca's ear.

"Greenlee just wants to find some affection, B," she whispered softly. "You can't blame her for that."

Bianca smiled shyly at Maggie then set her napkin aside. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to the ladies room."

"Oh, hey, wait for me," Kendall exclaimed, jumping to her feet to follow.

"Me, too!" Greenlee added, scurrying after the other two. She hurried past them and raced into the restroom ahead of them. "Me first!"

"You two are just like little children," Bianca remarked with a shake of her head. "Miranda behaves better than you sometimes."

"Nuh-uh," Kendall retorted.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Nice comeback, Kendall. Very adult. Way to prove me wrong."

"Whatever…" She swept haughtily past her sister and violently shoved open the restroom door.

_**Wham! Thunk! Thud!**_

"Oh, my God," Bianca murmured, sensing something pretty bad had just happened. She hurried through the door and stopped cold. For some reason, she didn't know whether to help or burst out laughing.

Poor Greenlee, down for the count.

Kendall gasped at the scene before her, Greenlee slumped against the wall with glassy eyes and limp limbs, Bianca kneeling at her side, patting her hand and calling her name.

"Oh, my God!" Kendall blurted. "I'll bet she was looking under the stall doors again!"

"Kendall," Bianca said softly, yet firmly. "Go get Maggie, please."

"Is she dead? Did I kill her?"

"No, she's not dead, you doof. You knocked her silly, but you didn't kill her. Could you please go get Maggie?"

"Okay, okay." She flew out the door, winging it open to hard that it hit Bianca in the shoulder.

"Ow! Great, Kendall, that's what got us into this situation to begin with!"

"Oh, sorry, sorry!"

"Go. Get. Maggie!"

"Alright!" Rushing quickly back out to the table, she skidded to a stop. "Hi!" she chirped brightly.

Both Maggie and Zach looked up at Kendall questioningly then glanced at each other, both instinctively knowing something was up. But what?

"Hello, Kendall," Maggie replied cautiously. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Um… could you join me in the bathroom, please?"

The blonde's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, haha, not _me_, silly. Bianca wants you. In the bathroom. Now."

Maggie rolled her eyes and tossed her napkin aside. "I swear, she gets these urges at the oddest times…"

"TMI!" Kendall shouted, following after the smaller woman toward the secluded restroom area. "And it's not Bianca. Really… it's Greenlee."

Maggie spun around so fast Kendall almost upended herself to stop in time from plowing the blonde over. "Ex_cuse_ me?!"

"Oh, no! No, no, no, no! Nothing like that! Ha ha, no, no, no, silly!"

"What did you do, Kendall?"

Kendall blinked. "Hey, why do you think _I_ did something?" Maggie gave Kendall an _are-you-kidding-me-? _look. "Oh, okay, come on…" She pushed past Maggie and stomped down the hallway.

Zach quirked an eyebrow, sat back and sipped his Napoleon brandy. Trying hard not to snort into his crystal snifter, he shook his head.

Maggie gently pushed open the bathroom door, peeking around to find Bianca still on the floor holding an obviously dazed Greenlee's hand in hers. Glancing up, Bianca gave Maggie a weak smile.

"Kendall knocked Greenlee unconscious," she whispered rather unnecessarily.

"I told you we can't take them anywhere," Maggie replied, moving to Greenlee's side to look in her eyes. "Greenlee? Can you hear me? Hello?"

"Helloooooo," Greenlee sing-songed.

"Wow, that's cool. Hello, Greenlee!"

"Hellooooo!"

"Maggie," Bianca admonished.

"Sorry," Maggie murmured abashedly.

Almost as if a light had come on over Kendall's head, she rushed to Greenlee's side, giving Bianca a hip check out of the way.

"Come on," Kendall exclaimed, trying to pull Greenlee to her feet. "Help get her up, you shrimp!"

Maggie backed up and crossed her arms over her chest. "Um, I don't think so. I'm not sure I should help someone who asks for help in one breath, then insults me in the next."

"Please, Maggie!" Kendall pleaded. "Look at her! This is the best time to get her back out to the table so that French guy can come over and introduce himself!"

"Kendall!" Bianca replied. "What are you talking about?"

"She's concussed, Binks! She won't be able to insult him or drive him away!"

"Oh, yeah-," Bianca replied.

"Good point," Maggie added as they both hurried over to help Kendall haul Greenlee up.

"Hi, guys," the widow Du Pres said airily, her glazed eyes wandering over each woman assisting her. "What are you doing here?"

"See?" Kendall said. "Come on, let's get her out of here."

Greenlee leaned into Bianca. "Hi, Binks," she sighed.

"Hello, Greenlee."

"You know, I don't think I ever told you this, but I like you."

"I like you, too, Greenlee."

Greenlee sighed again as they managed to usher her out of the bathroom. "I like Maggie, too." She rolled her head to the side. "Hi, Maggie!"

"Hey, Greenlee."

"I like you, too."

"Thanks ever so much."

"I even like Zach. When he doesn't scare me. But he usually scares me. Does he scare you? He scares me."

"You know, you're a doctor," Kendall muttered under her breath to Maggie as they shuffled along. "Should we be moving her? I mean, what if she has a blood clot and we're dislodging it and she has a stroke or something. She's not going to be able to pick up guys if she's drooling on herself, you know."

Maggie gave Kendall a look of pure disbelief. "_Now_ you're concerned if we move her?"

"Well, come on. What happens if she becomes a vegetable? I'm not equipped to take care of her. You know I have no patience."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Way to think of others, Kendall."

"I am thinking of others! Greenlee wouldn't want me taking care of her! She knows how bad of a cook I am… and she hates my taste in clothes! She'd never want me picking out her daily ensemble!"

"You know, I was thinking," Greenlee suddenly piped up. "If this guy thing doesn't work out, maybe I'll switch to Bianca's team. I mean, she got Maggie to switch, so she must be doin' something right…" She rolled her head to look at Maggie. "Seriously, Mags, how's the whole sex-with-Bianca thing working out for you?"

Maggie blushed bright red. "Not now, Greenlee."

"Wow," Greenlee giggled. "Must be pretty hot. Look at how red you are…" Suddenly, she frowned exaggeratedly. "I want to have sex that much. Bunches and bunches. You two have bunches and bunches of sex, don't you? I mean, _bunches_ and _bunches_… Sex, sex, sex… all the time, Bianca and Maggie, Maggie and Bianca… sex, sex, sex…"

"Okay!" Maggie exclaimed. "We get it!"

"Yeah, you do," Greenlee agreed. "You get it… you get it _a lot_…" The she giggled like a schoolgirl at her double entendre, snorted then giggled some more. "Precious little Binky, all sexed up… I'll bet she's an animal. She's an animal, isn't she? Because the innocent ones are always animals. Is she an animal, Maggie? I'll bet she is…"

"Enough!" Kendall shouted, causing several patrons of the restaurant to glance their way. "I can't take much more talk about my sister and sex," she muttered. "I mean, _really_!"

Slowly, the intense fog around Greenlee's brain wore off, but a nice little gauzey curtain still clouded her thought processes. When the man finally came over and introduced himself as Matthieu Meunier, thanking them for the drink, Greenlee was on her best behavior.

Actually, Greenlee was on better behavior than anyone had ever witnessed from her ever before.

By the end of the evening, phone numbers had been exchanged and a date had been arranged for the following Friday, a double with Zach and Kendall for dinner and drinks. Zach wasn't too terribly thrilled about the idea, but seeing the joy on his wife's face over the prospect of her best friend finding some romance had him agreeing to join in.

He must be crazy…

xoxox

"C'est tout pour aujourd'hui," Professor Lejeune stated, closing his thick master text. "Chapitre 19 par demain. Chapter 19."

Maggie quickly gathered up her book and notes, shoving them in her bag before hurrying out of the room. She wanted to get home to Bianca and Miranda since Kendall, Zach, Greenlee and Matthieu were going out again and she could have an evening alone with her girls. Ahead of her, she saw Cody striding along, his loose-hipped cowboy gait eating up the ground beneath his booted feet.

"Hey, Cody!" she called, tossing the strap to her book back over her head to settle on her shoulder. "Wait up!"

The gawky blonde turned at the sound of Maggie's voice and grinned at her. "If you didn't have such short legs you wouldn't have to run," he teased in his warm Oklahoma drawl.

She caught up to him and punched his shoulder. "Ha ha, not funny. Hey, did you get the notes from class yesterday?"

"Yeah, you need them?"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Please, if I could. Miranda spilled an entire tippy-cup of grape juice on mine."

They stopped at the curb and Cody settled his backpack on the bright blue Harley-Davidson Sportster Lowrider motorcycle parked there, unzipping it and digging out his notebook. "Here you go."

"Great, thanks." She eyed the big bike before glancing at Cody. "I'd be careful, Code. The biker-dude that owns this thing might snap you in two if he catches you with your books and stuff all over it."

Cody grinned. "Yeah, I doubt that."

"Why, because you're apparently an American and this thing was built in the good ol' US of A?"

"Nope." He dug into his jeans pocket and fished out a set of keys. "But I'm just guessing."

Maggie's jaw dropped. "No way. This is yours?"

"Yep, all mine."

"No way!"

"Way." Cody grinned at look of pure unadulterated joy on Maggie's face. "You want to go for a ride?"

Grinning up at the tall blonde, Maggie excitedly nodded her head. "I haven't ridden on a bike in years!"

Now it was Cody's turn to be surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah," Maggie sighed. "Before I ever met Bianca…"

"Well, come on," he said with a smile. He handed her the extra helmet and started up the big 1200cc engine.

Laughing madly to herself, Maggie climbed onto the back of the Harley and Cody roared off, taking her on a quick tour of the Latin Quarter. When they arrived back at the school, Maggie was practically vibrating with energy.

"Hey, Cody?"

Smiling to himself, the lanky blonde knew what was coming. "You want to borrow it, don't you?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Maggie grinned up at him. "I'll let you drive the Aston-Martin, you can even take it on a date! Can I borrow this bike for the night?"

"You're going to let me have the Aston-Martin if I let you borrow my bike for a night?" Cody asked in amusement. At Maggie's head bouncing nod, he held out his helmet. "Here. See you tomorrow."

Maggie threw herself at him, pinning his arms down as she hugged him. "Thanks, Code! I'll have it back a half hour before class!"

"No problemo, Stone. Have fun."

Pulling the helmet on and leaping into the saddle, Maggie grinned at him. "We will, trust me!" Hitting the ignition start button, Maggie quickly pulled in the clutch, shifted into gear and easily pulled away from the curb. Suddenly, all she could hear was _Born to Be Wild_ in her head.

Darting down the narrow streets on the Rive Gauche, Maggie grinned like a fool as she gave the Harley a little gas, racing past St. Sulpice to Rue de Grenelle. The Eiffel Tower loomed ahead, L'Hotel des Invalide to her left.

Her heart-rate tripled suddenly. She was roaring along the Rive Gauche of Paris on a Harley! Her! Maggie Stone! Who ever would have thought!

xoxox

"Stop kicking me."

"I'm not kicking you."

"Well, you're touching me."

"You're delusional."

"You're in my sun."

With a disgusted grunt, Kendall got off her lounge chair and wandered to the balcony railing, resting her elbows on the ornate wrought iron and watching traffic moving along Avenue Foch below. It had been two weeks since Greenlee had met Matthieu and things were going well. At least the guy hadn't run screaming after an evening listening to Greenlee go on and on about Leo and Ryan. The guy was either really interested or numb. Or so numb he somehow remained interested...

Kendall watched in fascination as a sleek sky blue and black motorcycle rolled up to the curb at the front of the building.

Having been attracted by the throaty rumble of what was unmistakably a Harley-Davidson, Greenlee leaned against Kendall and followed her gaze. "Wow," she muttered. "Who's the hot guy on the Harley?"

The two of them stared in silence, both suddenly enjoying the fantasies unspooling in their minds.

Kendall sighed. "Mmm…"

"He's mine," Greenlee exclaimed. "I called it."

"Oh, no. He's mine… mine..."

"Nuh-uh... you're married."

"Technicality."

"You can't call it on a technicality! Married is married! Even in France it's wrong!"

"You have no imagination."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Um, yeah, living here with you and Zach and the Sapphic supercouple, yeah, I do…"

They both looked down again and watched as the biker pulled off their helmet and tossed their head of dirty blonde hair.

"Oh. My. God." Kendall blurted.

"Eww!!" Greenlee exclaimed. "It's Maggie!! She's yours, you called it."

"You called it first!"

Greenlee looked at Kendall for a long time. "The sun was in my eyes!" she retorted.

Finally, Kendall smirked at the woman beside her. "You can have her, but I think you're gonna be in a fight on this one." The curly headed beauty moved over to the French doors. "Hey, Binks, you gotta come and see this!"

With a tired sigh, Bianca strolled to the balcony, a juice box in one hand and a purple-stained towel in the other. "What am I looking at Kendall?" she asked softly, worn out from chasing an over-sugared, under-tired child with a kitten accomplice around the den.

Kendall pointed to the balcony. "What do you see?" she asked.

Bianca glanced over the railing. "I see a motorcycle, Kendall. Can I go back inside now, before Miranda wakes up and wants to bathe in another juice box?" She turned back for the balcony doors, giving Kendall a look on her way. "I already have one over-excited, recalcitrant, spoiled child," she sighed. "I really don't need two more…"

Rushing over to the railing, Kendall looked down at the sidewalk, Greenlee at her side. "Where the hell-." She sighed. "Damn."

Shaking her head, Bianca re-entered the apartment, seriously considering locking Kenlee on the balcony, if only for a little peace and quiet. The front door was thrown open like it had been kicked in by the police. _Damn_, Bianca thought. _Make that three more children._

"Bianca!" Maggie called out, slamming the door behind her as she rushed in.

"Maggie?" Bianca remarked, suddenly a little concerned over the wild look in the blonde's eyes. "Honey, are you okay?" She put a hand to Maggie's forehead. "You look flushed. Are you feverish? Do you feel okay?"

"She's feverish, alright," Kendall cracked as she strolled into the kitchen.

Maggie made a face at her then turned her gaze back to Bianca. Almost immediately, the look in her eyes turned to softness, but still with a hint of wild. "Come with me," she said in an urgent, husky whisper. "Watch the Munchie, Kendall!"

Bianca's brow furrowed. "What? Where?"

"Sure, I'll baby-sit!" Kendall yelled back.

"Just… come on." Maggie urged. She took Bianca's hand and tugged her out of the apartment, down the elevator and to the sidewalk. Pulling Bianca over to the curb, she let go of Bianca's hand and climbed onto the Harley.

Bianca slowed to a stop, her eyes almost bugging out of her head. "Oh, Maggie, what the hell are you thinking?" She eyed the helmet her partner held out to her warily. "I'm not getting on a motorcycle, are you kidding me?"

"Oh, come on, Binks," Maggie murmured, her eyes softening just a touch. "It'll be alright, I promise." She gave Bianca a wicked grin. "It's fun, I guarantee it."

"Maggie, you already have a Vanquish. Now, you come home with this?"

"Relax, B. It's Cody's. He's letting me borrow it for a little while."

"Oh, well, that changes everything." Cautiously, Bianca took the helmet from Maggie's hand. "She's Evil Knievel," she mumbled to herself, watching as the blonde hit the ignition button and the bike roared to life.

"Get on!" Maggie shouted above the rumble.

"Are you crazy?!"

"It's safe, I promise! I used to ride a motorcycle before I came to Pine Valley! I know what I'm doing!"

"Maggie!" She looked at the blonde for a long moment then sighed and pulled the helmet on over her dark locks. "I must be crazy!"

Maggie gave her a lopsided grin as Bianca moved to throw a leg over the saddle behind her. "I haven't ridden a bike in years, but I'll never forget how!"

"Well, that's comforting!" Bianca stopped and took a step back. "That changes everything! Let me just jump right on!"

Maggie reached out and snagged Bianca's hand, pulling her back to the bike. "Get on, you dork!"

Bianca finally climbed onto the bike behind Maggie and wrapped her arms around the smaller woman's waist, hugging her tightly from behind before tightening her legs against Maggie's hips. Maggie grinned to herself as she rested a hand comfortingly on Bianca's clasped ones at her waist. _And this is a nice little perk_, she thought to herself as Bianca leaned into her further and held on to her tighter. _I should have thought of this sooner…_

"Ready?" she asked, pulling in the clutch and using her foot to shift into first gear. "Here we go!"

"Maggie!" Bianca shrieked as the bike eased away from the curb.

Whipping out onto Avenue Foch, Maggie pointed the Harley toward the Bois de Bologne and the west end of Paris. Before long, Bianca found herself enjoying the ride and she peeked over Maggie's shoulder a couple of times to check out the scenery.

That ended soon enough.

"Look, Bianca!" Maggie shouted back to her, "NO HANDS!" And she held up her hands for Bianca to see.

"Maggie!" Bianca shrieked in fear. "What are you doing?! Put your hands on... put your hands on the- on the thingys!"

"They're called handlebars!" Maggie corrected her.

"I don't care what they're called, just put your hands on them!"

"Boom-Boom!" Maggie shouted above the wind. "I love the way you think!" But she took the handlebars in her hands once more, steering the bike down the wide boulevard. "Okay! No more kidding around, I promise!"

"Okay!"

"But you gotta promise me something!"

"Anything! Just don't kill us!"

Maggie laughed. "Loosen your grip, Binks! I think you cracked a couple of my ribs!"

"Oh! Sorry!" With a self-effacing chuckle, Bianca loosened her death grip around Maggie's mid-section.

Able to breathe again, Maggie turned the bike towards Montmartre and the highest point in Paris, Sacré Coeur. Taking the Harley up the narrow, winding streets of the Montmarte district, Maggie leaned back into Bianca's arms, letting the brunette tighten her hold if she wanted. And, judging by the gentle yet firm grip, she apparently wanted.

Maggie wheeled the motorcycle to a stop in front of a café on Rue Lamarck just down the hill from the Basilica and knocked down the kickstand. "Wanna go up to the church?"

Bianca smiled and gave Maggie another squeeze around the waist. "Okay."

Climbing off the bike, Maggie took Bianca's hand and they walked up the stairs to the church. Maggie led Bianca by the hand to the far sidewalk, both of them leaning against the railing to see Paris spread out below. The afternoon crowd of tourists and worshippers strolled around, walking up the steps, getting off the funicular, penitently entering the Basilica. From this spot, the city seemed to sigh in tranquility.

From their place high on the hill, they could see the Eiffel Tower, the two towers of Notre Dame, the glass roof of Le Grande Palais, the colorful yet ugly Pompadou Centre, the Paris Opera House and some of the city's other fine churches, such as La Madeleine, St. Eustache and the Pantheon.

Maggie turned to watch Bianca's profile, taking in the gentle curve of her cheek, the bow of her lips, the graceful sweep of her brow. "You're beautiful," she murmured huskily.

Bianca's cheeks pinked slightly. "Stop it."

"Stop what? Telling you you're beautiful? It's true."

"It's embarrassing," Bianca whispered, giving Maggie a look.

Maggie just shook her head. "You'd think Erica Kane's daughter would be used to hearing people tell her how beautiful she is."

Bianca turned back to the view of the city below them. "I didn't say I've never heard it before-."

"Oh-ho!" Maggie laughed.

"But hearing you say it… it's nice."

With a smile, Maggie leaned in and pressed her lips to Bianca's. "You're welcome."

Sliding her arm around Maggie's shoulder, Bianca pulled her close as they both turned back to gaze out over their incredible hometown. Maggie leaned into the brunette, resting her head on her shoulder. Time seemed to stand still as the lights of Paris slowly flickered on in the early dusk, a blanket of stars below them as well as the ones above.

They stood in silence for a long while, enjoying their solitude while surrounded by hundreds of Parisians and visitors alike, before Maggie took Bianca's hand and they strolled a couple of blocks over to Place du Tertre, a tree covered square ringed by sidewalk cafes, bars and shops and enlivened with a festive atmosphere. Painters filled the square, attempting to snag unsuspecting subjects with their impromptu works.

Maggie bought them a couple of cups of coffee and they wandered the square, looking in the little shops, watching the artists ply their trade and occasionally chatting with Americans who heard them speaking in a familiar language and had questions about the city.

"Are you hungry?" Maggie asked Bianca as they stepped out of a shop that catered to the tourist crowd. Bianca had happily bought a cheesy snowglobe of Sacre Coeur and a half dozen refrigerator magnets featuring the sights of Paris, giggling like the tourists they had spoken to barely minutes before. "I'm buying."

Bianca grinned at the blonde as they strolled down the sidewalk back toward Place du Tertre. "Oh, is this a date?" she asked, giving Maggie a teasing wink as they bumped shoulders on the way.

"If there's a chance of a good-night kiss, you betcha."

"Buy me dinner, good looking, and you may end up with more than just a kiss."

Maggie looked up and noticed they were under the rich red awning of a sidewalk café and quickly pushed open the door. "Welcome to La Boheme," she stated, allowing Bianca to enter first.

With a chuckle, Bianca led the way in to the restaurant.

After a nice meal and a bottle of wine, they strolled back to the Harley, the glow of the full moon lighting their way down the evening streets. Maggie settled into the saddle of the motorcycle and started the big engine up, then gave Bianca a chance to seat herself behind her.

Maggie turned her head slightly and smiled at the brunette. "You can hold on tight, if you want to," she offered.

"Thanks," Bianca replied, sliding her arms around Maggie's waist. She snuggled in behind the smaller woman and leaned in close, her chin resting easily on Maggie's shoulder.

The trip home, down through the Pigalle, past the Moulin Rouge and the assorted adult-themed stores and theaters on Boulevard de Clichy and along the wide boulevards back toward the Champs Elysees much too quick for Bianca. For the first time since their move to Paris, she even enjoyed the nightmare that is the Etoile at Place Charles de Gaulle, possibly because the Arc de Triomphe was a spectacular sight at night.

They rolled smoothly down Avenue Foch and Maggie pulled the bike up to the front steps of their building, knocking the kickstand down before turning off the engine. Upstairs in the apartment they found Zach once again in the den, a tumbler of Napoleon brandy in his hand, a soccer game on the big screen.

"Where are Kendall and Greenlee?" Bianca asked, looking around.

"Getting... ready," the big man drawled tiredly.

"Oh, yeah," Maggie said with a grin. "You guys are going out with Matthieu tonight."

Zach pinned Maggie in place with his inscrutable stare. "Yes. We are."

"Well, you guys be careful. Be sure you have a designated driver."

"Yes, mother."

"Oh, and don't stay out to late."

Zach started to growl at the little blonde, but the sound of two bickering voices carried through the doorway to them.

"Are you sure about that dress?"

"What about it?"

"Well, the color..."

"This color looks good on me!"

"The last time you looked that green, you were throwing up on New Years eve."

"Yeah, well, eat a sandwich. I don't think I've ever seen legs that skinny. You have absolutely no muscle definition."

"What? I have incredible legs!"

"Are you kidding? Those stick people drawings of Miranda's on the refrigerator have better legs than you!"

Maggie grinned. "Wow, Zach, I'll bet you have a great time tonight!"

Zach eyed Maggie darkly then drained his brandy without looking away.

"Let's go, honey!" Kendall called out as she led Greenlee toward the front door, their high heels clicking on the Italian marble. "We're going to be late!"

Zach looked at Bianca. "I think I have a fever. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Sorry, Zach," Bianca declined. "I think you're stuck this time."

"I'll give you a thousand dollars."

Bianca laughed. "Hello, Chairperson of Cambias. I don't need the money."

"I do," Maggie laughed. "But even _I'm_ not that desperate."

Grumbling under his breath, Zach rose to his feet and headed out of the den. Maggie just gave Bianca a sideways glance as they listened to the trio leaving the apartment, Zach calmly explaining to his wife and stepsister-in-law that he would be drinking with dinner. And after dinner. And probably after after dinner. And it was a good bet once they got home, he'd have a nightcap as well...

"What?" Bianca finally said, after the front door closed and they were alone.

"Quite a family we got here, Binks," Maggie replied.

"Yeah?"

"You do realize that you're biologically related to all of them, don't you?"

Bianca's eyes went wide. "No, I'm not!"

Maggie laughed. "Yes, you are. Kendall is your sister by Erica. Greenlee is your cousin by your Uncle Jack and Zach is Miranda's Uncle... it's all blood relations... you know, this is why Royalty shouldn't be allowed to inter-marry anymore. They're diluting the gene pool."

"Oh, God, I'm really related to Greenlee," the brunette said in shock, sinking slowly onto the sofa.

"Sorry, Sweetie." Maggie gave Bianca a kiss on the forehead then took her hand. "Come on. You promised me something more than a good night kiss if I bought you dinner."

"Oh, yes, please. I need to clear my mind."

She dutifully allowed Maggie to lead her to the master suite. After checking on their sleeping child, Bianca kept her promise to Maggie and managed to clear her mind in the process.

xoxox

Moonlight spilled in through the window, falling across the floor to the bed and bathing the two bodies in its silvery glow. The sheets were pooled about Bianca's waist as she lay on her stomach, the pillow bunched beneath her head as she turned her head to watch Maggie beside her.

Maggie lay on her side, her head propped up in one hand as she ran her fingers down Bianca's bare spine, her touch feather-light as she caressed the silken skin. "I think this is probably my favorite part of you," she whispered, gently brushing her fingertips over the small of Bianca's back.

"Really?" Bianca asked coyly. "I never would have guessed ..."

"You know what I mean," Maggie murmured as her fingers continued their hypnotic motion.

"No, I don't," the brunette replied, her breath hitching in her throat at the sensation. "What do you mean?"

Maggie grinned. "I love all of you, honestly," she whispered. "But there's just something about the small of your back. It's so sensitive and delicate. I can brush my fingers here and all the hairs on your skin stand up. I can see the goose bumps forming." She leaned forward and pressed her lips against the spot on Bianca's back. "See?"

"Um, no," Bianca groaned, her breath backed up in her throat. Her entire body had shuddered at Maggie's sensual touch. "Actually, I can't see."

Maggie smiled, her lips curving against Bianca's skin. "Well, take my word for it."

"O-okay..."

"You thought I was going to say my favorite part was the girls, didn't you?"

Bianca laughed. "You are so romantic, Maggie. I don't know how you do it." She rolled over onto her back and scooted closer to her love, her hand gliding up Maggie's arm.

Grinning at the brunette, Maggie leaned in and kissed her sweetly on the lips. "It's a gift," she replied. She leaned back a bit and gazed into two warm chocolate pools. "I don't mind, you know."

Bianca gave Maggie a puzzled look. "Mind what?" she asked.

"Your crazy family." Maggie reached up a hand and brushed her fingertips over the soft curve of Bianca's cheek. "I never had a house full of people like this when I was growing up. People who fought with laughter in their voices. It was just fighting in my house." Maggie put her head in her hand and smiled at Bianca. "I like this crazy family."

With a smile, Bianca reached up and cupped Maggie's cheek in her palm. "They're your family, too, you know. As... weird and unconventional as we are, we're all your family."

Maggie turned her head slightly and pressed her lips into Bianca's palm. "I love you, Bianca. And this weird and unconventional family we've got here."

"I love you, too, Maggie."

Dipping her head, Maggie caught Bianca's lips with her own, kissing her passionately as she slipped an arm around Bianca's waist to pull her into her body. Bianca's hands slid easily into Maggie's hair, luxuriating in the silken locks as the kiss deepened.

Maggie gently pressed Bianca back into the mattress . Pushing herself up onto her hands, she leaned over Bianca, gently lowering herself down to kiss her hungrily, taking control and delving deeper. She felt Bianca's hands on her back, slowly gliding upward, palms caressing bare skin then smoothing their way back down to the small of her back. Arms wrapped around her and pulled her close so that was impossible to determine where one body ended and the other began.

Bianca slid a hand into Maggie's hair, burying her fingers in the silken locks to hold her close and deepen the kiss even further. Maggie's arm wrapped around Bianca's waist as she pulled her closed and rolled backward to pull Bianca over her, easily reversing their position. She echoed Bianca's movement and slid a hand into Bianca's dark tresses, letting the soft hair sift through her fingers. Breaking the kiss, she used her hands to brush Bianca's hair off her face, her eyes locked on Bianca's.

In just that look, Maggie communicated a thousand, a million, thoughts, seeing deep into Bianca's soul and filling it with all the love she had for the brunette. Pulling Bianca close and covering her lips in a desperate, passionate kiss, Maggie felt the last walls around her heart fall away. She held her future, her very life, in her arms at that moment and she knew the time was right to take those next permanent steps.

The matching rings they wore were no longer enough. It was time to bind their lives together from here on out, much like their hearts and souls had been for years.

"You're stuck with me now, Montgomery," she whispered, pressing a delicate kiss to Bianca's cheek. "I hope you can live with that."

Bianca opened her eyes, still feeling the warmth of Maggie's lips on her skin, the tingle from her touch. "I can," she replied. "Because there's absolutely no way I'm living without you."

Grinning, Maggie pulled the covers up over their heads, intent on making love to Bianca until they couldn't breathe any longer. And Bianca had every intention of returning the favor.

xoxox

A little after 3 am, the front door opened then closed with a loud slam. Maggie lifted her head off the pillow momentarily, waiting to hear something to indicate if Greenlee had finally made it home.

"Yessss!!" the former Mrs. Lavery exclaimed loudly. "Woohoo!!"

Dropping her head back onto the pillow, Maggie smiled and sidled up close to Bianca, pulling the brunette's body closer into her arms. Outside the bedroom door, she could hear Greenlee singing gleefully to herself as she stomped through the apartment.

"I guess Greenlee finally got home," Bianca mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah," Maggie replied. "And apparently, she also got lucky."

"Great, maybe now she'll shut up."

"Or we'll never hear the end of it."

Bianca groaned. "Oh, God…"

That made Maggie grin. "Yeah, we got us a great little family here, don't we?"

Bianca grabbed her pillow and covered her head with it. But that didn't stop Maggie from hearing her screaming…

TBC-

Although not technically a church, the Pantheon was originally intended to be a church and was used as a church before becoming a public building in 1885. Voltaire and Victor Hugo (_Les Miserables, The Hunchback of Notre Dame_), Louis Braille (the inventor of the Braille system for the blind), Alexander Dumas (_The Three Musketeers_) and Pierre and Marie Currie are all entombed here. The original Foucault Pendulum is housed under the massive dome of the building.


	17. A Day in the Life

Disclaimer - Do not write below this line.

For all intents and purposes (and no offense to Sabine Singh) my Greenlee will forever be Rebecca Budig.

Rating: PG-13/R for sexual situations

**I could not ask for more than this time together**  
**I could not ask for more than this time with you **  
**Every prayer has been answered **  
**Every dream I have's come true **  
**And right here in this moment is right where I'm meant to be **  
**Here with you here with me**  
Edwin McCain – _I Could Not Ask for More_

Paris, France  
Late June 2006

Chapter 17 – A Day in the Life...

Bianca was bored out of her skull…

Zach and Kendall had gone out to who knows where. They had this look on their faces… Bianca shuddered. It reminded her of an animal mating ritual she and Maggie saw on _Animal Planet_ one day. Maggie had grabbed Miranda and hauled her out of the room before the little girl could start asking questions.

Greenlee had offered to take Miranda to the park to play, even going so far as to tell Bianca it was to give the brunette an afternoon to herself and keep the little girl out of her hair. But Bianca knew it was because Miranda was a man-magnet at the park and Greenlee was now on the prowl despite still seeing Matthieu. If Bianca didn't know better, she would swear Miranda and Greenlee had even worked out a plan to snag unsuspecting males. Bianca sighed, her daughter was truly a Kane woman…

Still, Bianca was beyond bored. She had settled down to read a book, but even a novel featuring the Knights of the Templar couldn't hold her interest. Then there was this TV show on the BBC called _Spooks_. While Bianca found it intriguing, there was a character who was a frightening dead ringer for Lena. Except the woman spoke with a flawless British accent and Bianca couldn't even imagine this woman blurting out 'Beyonka, my lahv', let alone doing the macarena. It creeped Bianca out.

With nothing better to do, she dug out a can of furniture polish and a dust rag, intent on cleaning up the den, despite the mountain of Miranda's toys in the corner, Maggie's laptop and books on the desk and Cambias papers spread across the coffee table.

Turning the TV off, and banishing the Lena-clone to a dark corner of her mind, Bianca flipped the stereo on and attacked the den.

She was well into ABBA's Greatest Hits before she had reached the coffee table, enjoying the timeless classics of the Swedish quartet as she sprayed and wiped, shimmying a bit as she did so.

The sounds of ABBA met Maggie all the way out in the hall as soon as she stepped off the elevator.

"She's cleaning again," the blonde muttered to herself, shaking her head in amusement. She opened the front door and dumped her book bag onto the floor, rolling her shoulders from the strain the heavy medical texts caused. _Dancing Queen_ blared out the open French doors to the den.

Cautiously making her way to the doors, she stopped dead at the scene before her.

Bianca, a dust rag in one hand and wielding the can of Pledge in the other hand as a microphone, was dancing her way around the room.

**You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen  
Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine  
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life  
See that girl, watch that scene, digging the Dancing Queen**

Spinning around dramatically, tossing her hair as she swung the Pledge can back to her lips, she let her momentum turn her about. ""Eek!" she exclaimed, stopping so quickly at the sight of Maggie leaning lazily against the door jamb she nearly fell down."Maggie!"

Maggie just stood there and watched, a crooked smile on her face. "Well, don't stop on my account," she said with a grin as Bianca struggled to regain her balance.

Bianca clutched the can and dust rag to her chest, her cheeks blooming in color. "What-," she squeaked. She cleared her throat and tried again. "What are you doing home?"

"Well, I live here and lab is over. Soooo, I came home."

"Oh, okay." Bianca tried mightily to appear nonchalant, putting a hand to her hip before dropping it to her side again, but she just couldn't seem to find a comfortable position.

They looked at each other for a long, long time, waiting for the other to speak. Maggie wasn't about to let Bianca off the hook for this one.

"Alright," Bianca sighed resignedly. "So, how long were you standing there?"

Maggie chuckled. "Long enough to know what you do when I'm not home. It was nice… What's next on the playlist? Maybe a little something else from the disco era? Or maybe a musical? _Dirty Dancing_? Oh, I know… _Showgirls_."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Ha!" she exclaimed sarcastically. "You wish." Self-consciously she began dusting again.

"Hey, stripper poles in bedrooms are the big thing now."

"Sure, Maggie, and you explain that one to our child."

Maggie thought about it for a moment. "No sweat, you're in training to be a fireman."

Bianca just gave Maggie a look then rolled her eyes, going back to her dusting. When she realized she'd dusted the coffee table for the 4th time, she put the rag and Pledge down, falling into the big chair next to the sofa.

"What am I doing?" she sighed.

"Well, from what I can tell, you're putting-," Maggie picked up the Pledge can and read the instructions, "-_a high gloss shine_ on our coffee table."

"Ha ha."

"That's what is says!" Maggie exclaimed, pointing at the can. She shrugged. "You asked."

Bianca threw the dust rag at Maggie. "Thanks for your help."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for." The blonde looked around. "Where's the Munchie?"

"Greenlee took her to the park again."

"Ah, on the prowl, huh… Well, no wonder you're bored." Maggie folded the rag and put it with the can of furniture polish. "Don't you find it a little… weird that Greenlee is using our daughter like a guy uses a dog in the park to pick up chicks?"

Bianca shrugged a shoulder. "I would if I didn't think Miranda was the smarter of the two."

"Good point." Maggie looked around then gave Bianca a sly grin. "So, we're all alone here?"

"Maggie…," Bianca replied warningly.

"What?" Maggie protested. But she advanced on Bianca anyway and pulled her to her feet. "I've got a great idea."

"Yeah," Bianca snorted. "I know all about your great ideas. We almost got caught the last time."

"You're just not adventurous enough, Binks."

"Excuse me? I am _plenty_ adventurous! Who dressed up like Marie Antoinette so you could make me say 'Let them eat cake'?"

"No, I made you say 'you can have your cake and eat it, too'." Bianca blushed violently at Maggie's words. "I'd think you'd be used to this by now, B. Besides, role-playing is very important to a healthy sex life."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Maggie, if our sex life got any healthier we'd both be in wheelchairs." Maggie gave Bianca a look. "You know what I mean. And we're not even going to _discuss_ the hockey obsession you have," she added, holding up a hand.

"Relax, Boom Boom," Maggie murmured reassuringly. "I was just going to suggest we stretch out here on the couch and take a nap. We've been working non-stop on this lab project at school and I'm exhausted."

Bianca eyed Maggie warily. "Really? You want to take a _nap_?"

Maggie grinned mischievously. "Well, and maybe a little necking…"

"Yeah, I thought so."

"It's only been like this for you, my love. Only for you." She settled Bianca onto the plush sofa then crawled up behind her, pulling her back into her arms.

Bianca sighed, remembering the first time Maggie held her like this. The night she had drunkenly confessed to having been raped. Maggie had slipped onto her dorm room bed behind Bianca and pulled her close, the steady beating of Maggie's heart against her back a strong and solid comfort to Bianca's broken spirit. The feel of Maggie's hand gripping her wrist, the warmth of her body along Bianca's back. In that moment, Bianca knew she would be okay. Despite the agony she would endure, she knew with Maggie by her side, she would be okay.

"This feels good," she sighed, feeling Maggie pressing kisses at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

"Mmm," Maggie replied, her face buried in Bianca's neck. "I love you, Binks."

Bianca smiled. "I love you, too, Maggie."

Bianca snuggled down a little deeper into the cushions of the sofa and Maggie's arms. Maggie pulled one arm tighter around the brunette then stretched her other arm toward the entertainment center. The TV pinged on and Maggie quickly flipped channels until she found what she was looking for, tossing the remote on the coffee table when she was done.

"I should have known," Bianca muttered. "The Rangers…"

"They're playing the Red Wings," Maggie mumbled into Bianca's hair. "I bet Zach 50 Euro on this game."

"You know this game was played yesterday and you're watching a tape-delayed feed, don't you?"

"Yeah… I also know the Rangers won, but don't tell Zach that."

Chuckling at her girlfriend's playful deviousness, Bianca snuggled back deeper into Maggie's arms and closed her eyes, drifting off into a gentle nap. Maggie pulled the chenille throw from the back of the sofa over their bodies and sighed, following Bianca into dreamland.

xoxox

"How do they sleep like that?"

"I know, I can't have someone draped all over me when I sleep. I get all sweaty."

"Is she drooling?"

"Which one?"

"Both."

"It's kinda sweet, though. I think this is the only time Maggie's taller than Bianca."

"Hey, we're all the same size lying down."

A laugh. "Nope, the Magster will always be short."

"Watch it," Maggie mumbled sleepily. "I may be short, but I can kick your spindley asses…"

"Come on," a deep Irish-brogue murmured. "Let them sleep."

"Thanks, Unca Zap," Maggie replied.

"You're welcome, little watch-dog."

"Oh, hey, you owe me 50 Euro. Rangers beat the Wings 5-2."

There was a long pause. "Go back to sleep," Zach said softly. "This is all just a dream…"

Sighing contentedly, Maggie pulled Bianca tighter into her arms. "Dream…," she mumbled. "Just a dream…"

Zach straightened up and gave Kendall and Greenlee a smug look.

"Okay… but you still owe me 50 Euro…"

"Ha!" Kendall exclaimed, leading her husband out of the den. "Come on, let's go eat."

"I'll get Miranda!" Greenlee exclaimed, her footsteps pounding up the stairs.

In Maggie's arms, Bianca stirred slightly. "What was that?" she mumbled, nuzzling her nose deep into Maggie's neck.

"What was what?"

"I don't know."

"Me, neither."

"Okay."

Slowly, Bianca slipped back into sleep, more safe and content in Maggie's arms than she ever felt anywhere else. Sleepily, she slipped her hand under Maggie's t-shirt, seeking the touch of warm skin. It was no wonder Miranda loved taking naps with Maggie, the blonde was more comforting than a woobie and a teddy bear.

Like daughter like mother.

xoxox

As the one year anniversary of the day Maggie told Bianca she wanted them to become romantically involved neared, Maggie began searching for the right gift to give her. Maggie considered July 9th to be their anniversary date. It was, after all, the date she admitted to herself that she was in love with Bianca and wanted to spend her life with her. It was also the date she realized she had been fighting a losing battle in her feelings for Bianca. Whether or not that meant she was gay didn't concern Maggie. Only Bianca and Miranda did. She knew she would always love Bianca in ways she would never love anyone else. Emotionally, physically, completely.

The only thing that remained was to find the right gift and the means with which to pay for it.

The funny thing was, for all her life Maggie couldn't imagine what was around the next corner, or where she would be in her life in a month, a year or 5 years. That had all changed when she met Bianca. Or more accurately, the day Bianca showed up at the Valley Inn and talked her out of high-tailing it out of Pine Valley as fast as her crappy Toyota could take her. Not only did she now know where her life was headed, she knew she wouldn't spend a day of it without Bianca and Miranda. She could close her eyes and see herself in the future right beside Bianca, raising Miranda and shaping the child's life. Living a life she and Frankie only knew of from TV and fairy tales, stable and solid, helping Bianca instill only the best values into Miranda's life and taking great pride in the job, knowing no one was there to do the same for her when she was growing up.

Maggie always laughed when she thought back to the day Bianca stopped her from leaving. She was more than ready to split, eager even, to see Pine Valley in her rear view mirror. Then Bianca showed up. Maybe, when Maggie had told her that her arrival was the last thing she wanted, or the only thing, Maggie knew that she _did _want Bianca to stop her. She needed to know she was needed and that she mattered. And Bianca gave her that. It made her heart swell to know there was one person in the world who wanted her there at her side, who loved her enough to stop her from leaving.

Of course, the girl almost blew it with the phone call to Tim Dillon, but Maggie knew now why she wasn't all that fond of the Dillon kid and why Bianca's matchmaking efforts drove her to near madness. It had all stemmed from the fact that she was in love with Bianca. And she always had been. It's why she hated Bianca's efforts to set her up with anyone and everyone with a Y chromosome, and why she hated Lena with an all-consuming jealousy. And why, at totally inappropriate moments, she popped off with some sexually laced innuendo that flustered both her and Bianca into embarrassment, like her now infamous "Screw the couch, sleep in my bed" comment.

Allowing herself to accept her feelings for Bianca was probably the wisest thing Maggie had ever done in her life. She tried to hard to fight those feelings, running from Henry to Jamie to, shudder, Jonathan, just to keep those feelings at bay. It all made so much sense to her now. All those men she ran to, she did so because she was so afraid of the love she felt for Bianca, love she wasn't ready to accept then. And all those times she's spoken of love and being in love, when she'd explained how being in love felt to her, she had been talking about Bianca, about how much she loved, was in love with, Bianca. And she knew it now down to her very soul, with every fiber of her being.

So with that in mind, Maggie knew she needed to find the right gift for Bianca. Something that told Bianca exactly how she felt, and how she would always feel, about the brunette. How much she would always love, need and want her.

So, what do you get the woman who has everything she could ever want and can buy everything else? The question was starting to weigh on Maggie so much so that she was having trouble concentrating in her classes. One day during Advanced Anatomy, she almost answered "Mass Spectrometry" to a question about the Central Nervous System.

Shaking her head in disbelief as she trudged out of the auditorium, she didn't see Cody waiting for her until he had walked several paces at her side.

"I nearly gave an Organic Chemistry answer in an anatomy class," she muttered with a shake of her head. Then she started when she realized she wasn't alone. "Cody!"

"Wow, you are distracted," he said with a grin. "What's up, Mags?"

She sighed. "I'm beating my brains out trying to come up with a gift for Bianca," she admitted miserably. "And I'm drawing a complete blank."

"Is it her birthday?"

"No, our one-year anniversary. I want to get her something special so she knows it's just the first of many."

"Oh, okay." He thought about it for a minute. "Are you wanting to give her jewelry or something like that?"

Maggie dropped down onto a bench by the Metro station entrance just outside the school. "I don't know. Yeah, I guess so, but I don't know what kind of jewelry I should get."

"Well, how 'bout a ring?"

"I've already given her a ring." She held out her hand to him. "It's a matching pair," she told him as he looked at the ring on her finger.

"Oh, okay." He sat back on the bench and peered up into the sunny sky. "Well, you know, Cartier is based here in Paris. Maybe you could find her something there."

Maggie looked at Cody as if he'd grown a third eye. "And how do you propose I pay for something from _Cartier_?"

Cody returned Maggie's look with one of his own. "How much are you planning on spending on her, Maggie?"

"Well, not a months salary!"

"So, you _are_ planning on buying her an engagement ring?"

"No!" Suddenly, Maggie sighed a little sadly. "She bought me an Aston-Martin, Cody. I need something just as good."

"Maggie, she didn't buy you that car so you'd buy her something expensive in return. It isn't a contest."

Maggie's head dropped, her chin hitting her chest in abject misery. "I know, I know…"

"Okay. And, seriously, how much money do you have to spend?" Maggie gave him a look. "I'm not asking for the balance in your savings account, just, what kind of price range are you looking at?"

"I'd have plenty if I could get use of the money my cousin put into a trust for me for tuition," she sighed. "But, I've still got quite a bit left from when Aidan sold my car back home."

"Well, that should probably be more than enough. I'll bet you could find something real nice at Cartier. Something that you could afford that won't hurt too much to buy."

"Oh, ha ha."

Cody shrugged and gave Maggie his perfected 'good ol' boy' grin. "Hey, just trying to help."

Finally, Maggie returned his grin. "Thanks, Code."

"No problem, Mags." He patted her on the knee. "Let me know if you need anything else. You know, like how to ask a girl to dance, or order dinner for her or something like that."

Maggie snorted. "Who's got a girl at home and who doesn't, Cody?"

"Yeah, whatever." He smacked her on the knee. "Come on, I'll go over to the Champs Elysees with you and we can check out Cartier there."

"You don't have to do that."

Cody shrugged. "I know. I want to."

"Okay, come on."

They headed down the steps to the Metro station, then made their way over to the Champs Elysees. The Cartier store was only steps from the Arc de Triomphe on the most famous avenue in the world and the security guard held the door open for them as they made their way inside.

Maggie was just a bit overwhelmed by the opulent store, not sure which display case to go to first. Cody was looking at rings, but Maggie really wanted something special. Something unique.

"If you need any help, my name is Emmanuelle," a saleslady said in a thick French accent, watching Maggie peruse one case after another. "Is there something special you are looking for?"

"Yeah, I am," Maggie sighed, looking at necklaces and earrings. "I need a very special gift."

"For your... fiancé? Husband?"

"Um, no... my girlfriend, actually." She waited for the typical narrow-minded response and got none, so she gave the woman a smile. Then she spotted it. In a display case dedicated to the entire line of jewelry. "Something like that!" she exclaimed, pointing and rushing to the case. "This is perfect!"

"Ah, yes," Emmanuelle replied, moving behind the counter and opening the case. "These are incredibly popular and world famous. Is it the bracelet you like?"

"Yes," Maggie murmured in awe. "The bracelet is perfect."

Emmanuelle pulled out a bracelet and laid it on the velvet in front of Maggie. "This is the LOVE bracelet. It was created by Aldo Cipullo in 1969. He designed the bracelet as two pieces that bolt together around the wrist. It requires closure with a special screwdriver, symbolizing a "locked up," committed relationship, demonstrating the powerful and indestructible bond that ties two beings together." She placed the small gold screwdriver on the blue square of velvet next to the bracelet. "It is company policy that you cannot buy a bracelet for yourself but only for a loved one."

Maggie gently picked up the heavy gold bracelet. An absolutely stunning piece of jewelry, it had two gold screws on either side of the bangle and engraved "screw heads" all around the circumference. Engraved inside the bracelet was the Cartier logo and an ID number.

"What do you think, Maggie?" Cody asked, suddenly at Maggie's side as she gazed at the brilliantly golden bracelet.

"I think it's just about perfect," she breathed softly, knowing the bracelet said exactly what she wanted to express. She looked up at Emmanuelle with a tiny amount of trepidation. "I'll take it."

xoxox

The apartment was dark and silent, the hum of the air conditioning and the gentle baby snores coming through the monitor the only sounds from within. The gentle pattering of the rain on the roof and windows were the only sounds from outside.

They lay facing each other in the large bed, their heads resting on the same downy pillow, their bodies still in contact. The glow from the lights of Paris at night bathed the room in its silvery glow, reflecting off the raindrops that ran down the window panes. Shadows of the drops of water dotted Maggie's skin as Bianca watched and she let her gaze follow one as the shadow slipped lazily down Maggie's silken cheek.

Reaching out a hand, Bianca let her fingertip trace the path of the shadowed drop then gently traced Maggie's face. The curve of her cheek, the tip of her chin, the sweep of her brow. Maggie's eyes were on Bianca's, watching her intently as the brunette continued her gentle exploration.

Maggie's hand slipped around Bianca's waist, gliding gently up the brunette's back, palm flat against the skin, fingertips lightly caressing the dip of Bianca's spine. She tangled her feet with Bianca's, their legs twining together like the cords of the finest silk. As her hand reached the thick dark tresses of Bianca's hair, she buried her fingers in the fragrant strands, gently caressing Bianca's scalp as she pulled her closer, their lips only millimeters apart.

Their eyes met and held as their breath warmed each others lips. Electricity arced between them, powerful enough to give the energy a tangible presence, sensitizing bare skin and creating ripples of goose flesh. Each felt the jolt of excitement coursing through their bodies as Maggie closed the remaining distance between them and captured Bianca's lips with her own.

The kiss was neither gentle nor tender. It was a conflagration. A firestorm of emotions and desires. It was possessive and hungry as control was fought for and won, then lost and regained. It was an expression of commitment, of utter and complete consent, when two hearts would willingly give themselves up for the other.

Maggie pulled back and shifted her weight a little, pressing Bianca back onto the bed and gently settling herself on top of the brunette. She looked down into Bianca's eyes and smiled, a finger gently brushing a stray lock of chestnut hair off a porcelain cheek. Bianca let her hands glide up Maggie's back and around to cup her face with both hands. They couldn't take their eyes off of each other and Maggie instinctively looked down once more to Bianca's soft, full lips.

Before the question could be asked, Bianca gently brought Maggie's lips to hers. Her kiss started slowly, nibbling and tasting, before boldly demanding Maggie's surrender. It was given gladly as Maggie let herself go.

They made love slowly, savoring every touch, each caress. The luminescent glow of the Paris night enveloped them like a blanket as they found heaven in each others arms once more.

xoxox

"Maggie! Maaaagggiiiee!"

Maggie jolted out of sleep at the sound of her name being cried in fear. "What the-," she muttered, looking down at Bianca's sleeping form curled up against her.

"Maggie!!"

"Miranda?!" Maggie exclaimed, bolting from the bed and hurrying toward the nursery door.

"What's going on?" Bianca mumbled sleepily, sensing Maggie's anxiety and tension. She became alert almost immediately. "Maggie?"

"I don't know," the blonde replied, not stopping as she rushed across the room. "Miranda's calling for me. Loud."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I got it." She stepped through the doorway into the dark nursery and saw the little girl sitting up in her brand-new big-kid bed with her Elmo clutched in her arms and Leo planted firmly at her side. "Hey, Munchie. What's wrong?"

The moonlight caught Miranda's cheek and Maggie saw the sheen of freshly shed tears. "Bad dweam," she whimpered sadly. "I had a bad dweam, Maggie."

"Oh, sweetie," Maggie murmured reassuringly. "Come here." She picked the scared little girl up in her arms and settled into the rocking chair, gently rocking back and forth. "It's okay, honey. I'm right here and you're okay," she whispered repeatedly. "I've got you." She felt the child burrow against her body, seeking warmth and comfort. Maggie wrapped her arms more securely around Miranda and pressed a kiss to the top of her tousled head. "I got you, Munchie. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, okay?"

"Otay, Maggie."

"You want to tell me about it?" Miranda tensed up and shook her head furiously against Maggie's chest. "It's okay, honey. You don't have to talk about it. It's okay." Miranda sighed and settled back against Maggie once more. "You know, I used to have bad dreams when I was a little girl, too."

"You did?"

"Yep. My sister Frankie used to hold me when I had them, like I'm holding you right now."

"Aunt Fwankie?"

Maggie chuckled. "Yes, your Aunt Frankie. She used to hold me in her arms and talk softly to me until I fell back asleep. And I'll do that for you, okay?"

"Otay. Maggie?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"You no have bad dweams no more?"

Maggie sighed and gave Miranda a squeeze. "Well, you want to know what happened?"

"Yes, pwease."

"Well, after a while, I became the strong one and I started to comfort _Frankie_ when _she_ had bad dreams. One day, Munchie, you'll be the strong one and you'll take care of me."

"Weawy?"

Maggie laughed and pulled Miranda tighter in her arms. "Yeah, sweetie, really."

"Otay." After a moment, Miranda snuggled deeper into Maggie's embrace, settling herself in to a comfortable space. "Maggie?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Sing me song."

Maggie smiled. It was such a sweet request and the simple solution to soothe an innocent child's fear. "Okay, baby, anything you want." She gave a gentle push of her foot on the floor and started the chair rocking again, holding Miranda gently in her arms. Resting her cheek on the little girl's clean smelling hair, she began to sing.

**Tell me why the stars do shine **  
**Tell me why the ivy twines**  
**Tell me why the sky's so blue**  
**And then I'll tell you just why I love you**  
**Because god made the stars to shine**  
**Because god made the ivy twine**  
**Because god made the sky's so blue**  
**Because god made you, that's why I love you**

**Tell me why the stars do shine**  
**Tell me why the ivy twines**  
**Because god made the sky's so blue**  
**Because god made you, that's why I love you**

As Maggie sang, Miranda sighed and nuzzled her head under Maggie's chin, curling up into a warm, soft ball and falling into an easy, dreamless sleep. Gently, Maggie got up and carried the child to her new bed, settling her down on the sheets and pulling up the New York Rangers comforter (which dismayed Bianca no end) to cover her.

Pressing another kiss to the child's cheek, Maggie straightened, fully intending to slip out of the room and return to her own bed. Miranda stirred and grabbed Maggie's hand. "Anuver," she mumbled sleepily. "Sing me anuver, Maggie."

"Are you sure?" Maggie whispered. Miranda just nodded, so Maggie crawled onto the bed behind the little girl and pulled her into her arms. Softly, again, she began to sing.

**Although you see the world different than me**  
**Sometimes I can touch upon the wonders that you see**  
**All the new colors and pictures you've designed**  
**Oh yes, sweet darling**  
**So glad you are a child of mine**  
**Child of mine, child of mine**  
**Oh yes, sweet darling**  
**So glad you are a child of mine**

On the other side of the nursery room door, Bianca stood watching the scene before her. Their daughter sleeping gently in Maggie's arms, Maggie's crystal clear voice singing for the little girl's comfort. The pose was so familiar echoing the night Maggie held Bianca in her arms after she had drunkenly confessed to what had happened with Michael Cambias. Eyes welling with tears, Bianca couldn't pull herself away as she listened to Maggie singing, realizing how perfect the words really were.

**The times you were born in may not have been the best**  
**But you can make the times to come better than the rest**  
**I know you will be honest if you can't always be kind**  
**Oh yes, sweet darling**  
**So glad you are a child of mine**  
**Child of mine, child of mine,**  
**Oh yes, sweet darling**  
**So glad you are a child of mine**  
**Child of mine, child of mine**  
**Oh yes, sweet darling**  
**So glad you are a child of mine**

"I love you, Miranda," Maggie whispered when she'd finished the song. "I'll never leave you, my wonderful little girl. I'll always be here for you." She kissed the silken cheek once more then carefully climbed off the bed. Tucking the covers around the child a little more securely, she brushed a lock of hair off her face and quietly backed out of the room.

Bianca silently slipped back into bed before Maggie spotted her, quickly wiping the tears off her cheeks. Pulling the sheet up over her shoulders, she feigned sleep.

Maggie eased back into bed, trying not to disturb her partner, pulling up the covers and relaxing back into the mattress. Bianca rolled over easily and curled herself into Maggie's side. She sighed and Maggie pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"I heard her," Bianca said softly. "She called you 'Maggie'."

"Yeah."

"'Maggie', Maggie. She called you 'Maggie'."

Maggie shook her head. "I'm getting confused because you keep saying 'Maggie'."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "She didn't call you '_Aggie_!" she snapped in frustration. "Jeez, Stone, try to follow along!"

Suddenly, it dawned on Maggie. "Hey, she did! She called me 'Maggie'!" Maggie beamed at her girlfriend. "Cool! I'm Maggie!"

Bianca laughed. "Nice to meet you, Maggie."

"I'm Maggie…" she said with wonder. "I'm _Maggie_!"

xoxox

"'Aggie! 'Aggie, 'Aggie, 'Aggie!" Miranda shrieked the next morning, racing into the kitchen to throw her arms around Maggie's legs. "Hi, 'Aggie!"

"Hey, Munchie," Maggie replied, bending over to pick the child up in her arms. "What happened to Maggie?"

Miranda gave her a look. "_You_ 'Aggie, silly!"

"No, Maggie."

"'Aggie."

"Maggie."

"'Aggie."

Maggie sighed in frustration. "You called me Maggie last night, Munchie."

"Huh-uh."

"Yuh-huh."

"Nu-uh."

"Yeah-."

Bianca grinned into her coffee cup. "Um, Mags? Please don't get into an argument with a toddler."

Maggie looked over at Bianca with a forlorn expression that bordered on devastation. "But Binks, she called me Maggie last night. Now I'm 'Aggie again…"

"I know, sweetie."

"I'll always be 'Aggie."

"No, honey, she'll say Maggie soon enough." Bianca winked at the little girl in Maggie's arms then smiled at her lover. "And then you'll miss the days when she called you 'Aggie."

"No I won't," Maggie grumped softly, placing the child back on the floor.

Bianca just grinned knowingly. "So, what's on the schedule today?" she asked, smoothly changing the subject.

"Nothing," Maggie replied, finishing with Miranda's breakfast and setting it on the table before the little girl. "I was thinking maybe we could take the Munchie to the museum or something."

"You mean, just the three of us?"

Maggie smiled as she took a moment to wipe the pancake syrup off Miranda's cheek after the little girl got too excited about her breakfast. "Yeah, I was thinking we could just do something together. You know. Just the fam."

Bianca chuckled. "The fam?"

"Yep!"

"Okay, as soon as the Munchie is done eating, we'll go."

They both turned to Miranda and watched in amusement as she worked a forkful of pancakes into her mouth, smearing syrup across her cheek once more and adding the nose along the way. Bianca had a hard time not wincing as she watched a large drop of the sticky stuff roll down the fork and across Miranda's tiny knuckles, practically cementing the utensil in her small fist.

"Um," Maggie began softly.

"I'll give you a thousand bucks if you clean her up," Bianca said quickly.

Maggie snorted. "You know, I may be poor, but I'm certainly not desperate."

"Damn..."

"Dam!" Miranda parroted with a sticky grin and a syrup covered fist.

Maggie laughed as she got up and took her coffee cup to the sink. "It wasn't my fault this time!"

"Oh, ha ha…"

After rumpling Miranda's hair and kissing Bianca on the cheek, Maggie quickly exited the kitchen. No way was she getting caught in Munchkin clean-up today. Behind her, she could hear Bianca attempting to sweet talk the little girl into finishing up her breakfast so she could hose her down and they could go out and enjoy the day.

"No!" Miranda shouted stridently. "Not pinished wif canpakes!"

"Okay, okay- no, Miranda! Not in-… your hair… oh, no…"

A little while later, after a serious hosing down, Bianca had Miranda finally ready to go, dressed in little Levi's and a Rangers t-shirt with her favorite sneakers. Bianca grinned, knowing that her mother would have a heart attack if she saw Miranda in her favorite outfit. Unfeminine and tomboyish, the jeans and t-shirt were a gigantic fashion "don't" as far as La Kane was concerned. Which is why Bianca didn't seem to mind all that much when Miranda picked it out on an almost daily basis. That was one of the points of moving to Paris and away from her mother's watchful eye in Pine Valley. To be independent and give Miranda that same sense of independence and a personality of her own.

And, boy, did the little girl have one! A mirror image of her 'Aggie's stubbornness with a bit of Bianca's sensibilities tossed in for good measure, Miranda was, undoubtedly, her own little person. There would come a day when she would give Grandma Erica fits and Bianca couldn't wait to see it happen.

"Ready?" Maggie asked as mother and daughter made their way into the den.

Bianca nodded. "Finally. _Someone_ was a wiggle worm as I was trying to make her a little less sticky than she already was."

Maggie grabbed Miranda and began to tickle her. "Were you a wiggle worm when your momma tried to clean you up?" she asked as Miranda shrieked with giggles. "Huh? Were you?"

"No, 'Aggie! No tickle!"

Bianca stood back and watched them playing happily, a beatific smile on her face at their apparent joy. The two purest loves she had ever known along with the love she and Kendall shared. She sighed contentedly.

The two of them were still squealing and tickling when Greenlee burst into the room. "Hey! Are you guys going somewhere? Can I come? Please? I can't stay here. Zach and Kendall are locked in their room. I can hear them. Do you know how thin the walls are in this place?"

"Ready?" Maggie asked, ignoring the widow Du Pres as she and Miranda settled down and started for the door.

"Seriously, you'd think Cambias could afford to have this place sound-proofed," Greenlee continued, following behind Bianca, grabbing her purse on the way out. "I can hear everything. And I mean _everything_…" She paused to drag in a much-needed breath. "So, can I come with? Please?"

The elevator arrived and Maggie led Miranda on, turning to give Bianca and Greenlee a look. Miranda clutched a stuffed kitten to her chest and eyed her Aunt Gweenwee warily.

"Anyway," Greenlee continued without waiting for an answer. "They come out of their room long enough to get a bottle of wine, glasses and some fruit, then lock themselves in again. Then I hear the giggling and the talking- they do lovey-dovey talk worse than you two, by the way- then… then…" She shuddered. "Hey, does Maggie talk about hockey stuff when you're… you know…" she made suggestive motions with her fist.

"Hey-!" Maggie exclaimed, turning Miranda's face against her jeans, because that's all she needed was to have the little girl ask what Greenlee was talking about.

"Because that's all Zach talks about. I've learned more about hockey just because the walls are so freakin' thin. Thin, thin, thin. I mean, we're talking tissue paper here. Can Miranda hear you two all night long? If she can, boy, do I feel sorry for her. I hope you have a good therapist lined up because she'll need one." She laughed. "Boy, will she need one!" She paused momentarily. "Hey, Maggie? What does 'the slot' mean? And what's 'spearing'?"

Maggie tripped over the grate as she exited the elevator.

"I thought this was just going to be the fam?" Maggie muttered to Bianca as they started down the sidewalk, Greenlee following several paces behind. "You know, the parents and the child?"

"It still is," Bianca replied sincerely. "Except now it's the parents, the child and the family pet."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Then can we dump her on the side of the road out in the country?"

"Maggie!"

"What? I was just asking…"

They spent the afternoon exploring Bois de Boulogne, which included taking the ferry boat across Lac Inférieur to one of the islands and eating lunch at one of the several cafes there, while watching the ducks and peacocks wander about. Greenlee actually was quite helpful at that point, keeping Miranda entertained since they were both, apparently, the same age when it came to things such as this.

It was late afternoon as they made their way back toward the apartment, Greenlee and Miranda skipping along several paces ahead of Maggie and Bianca. Bianca watched the pair before them as they laughed and skipped, stopping occasionally to peer at a small insect on the sidewalk or a leaf that had fallen from a nearby tree.

"I think Greenlee has to be Miranda's favorite playmate," the brunette whispered to the smaller woman at her side.

Maggie grinned. "Well, they are on the same level intellectually," she replied cheekily.

Suddenly, Greenlee had Miranda's hand and was walking briskly back toward the pair. "Hey, guys?" she blurted. "We got a problem."

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Maggie asked anxiously, giving Miranda a quick once-over for possible injuries sustained while standing over a roly-poly or tree leaf.

"Well-."

Miranda looked up at Bianca, bouncing a little on her toes. "Mommy, mommy, mommy... gotta peepee!" she exclaimed.

"I think she needs to use the bathroom," Greenlee informed them rather unnecessarily, while Miranda did her little peepee dance before her parents.

"Thanks for the newsflash, Greenlee," Bianca murmured with a roll of her eyes. Secretly, the brunette was pleased, Miranda had begun potty training not long before and she was already getting the hang of it. "Okay, okay, can you hold on, sweetie? We'll find a bathroom right away, okay?" She looked up at Maggie. "Do you see a public toilet around?"

Maggie snorted. "I am not paying one Euro for her to use the bathroom. We'll find a restaurant and I'll buy a cup of coffee so she can use their restroom."

Greenlee gave Maggie a look. "Wait, you'll pay 4 Euro for a cup of coffee so you don't have to pay one Euro for your kid to pee in a pay-for-pee toilet?"

Miranda kept hopping up and down. "Mommeeeeeee…"

Bianca reassuringly took Miranda's hand. "It's okay honey, we'll find a place." She looked at Maggie. "You know, Greenlee has a point."

"Whatever, come on."

They started the search for a public toilet, a hotel, a restaurant, anything, for Miranda's crisis. Every café they came across was shut up tight, umbrellas folded down and chairs taken off the sidewalk. Bianca glanced at her watch.

"Oh, Maggie, it's 3:45. Everything's closed until dinner."

Maggie grimaced, confounded that Greenlee may have been the smarter one at that precise moment in time. It was the time of day where most of the sidewalk cafes closed between 3 and 5 to prepare and re-open for dinner. Maggie glanced over at her partner and gave her a rueful smile. At Bianca's side, Miranda continued her little wriggling dance, a hand between her legs in the universal sign for "I. Have. Got. To. Pee. NOW."

They hurried along the sidewalk until they found a hotel, l'Hotel Baltimore, not far from Avenue Foch between the Trocadero and Place Victor Hugo. They could almost see their apartment building in the distance, but it was clear that little Miranda's bladder had reached critical mass.

They hurry inside and up to the registration desk.

"Bon jour," the desk clerk greeted them. "Can I help you?"

Maggie gave the man her best pained smile. "Well, I was wondering if my daughter could use the bathroom."

"Bien sûr," he replied, as if Maggie were a complete idiot, pointing them to the restrooms. Then he asked, "You are guests of the hotel, no?"

Bianca laughed. "Actually, we're not. We only live a couple blocks from here, but she just couldn't wait until we got home." She smiled down at Miranda. "Could you, sweetie?" Miranda vigorously shook her head while bouncing up and down on her toes.

The desk clerk quickly slithered out from behind the reception desk and blocked Bianca's path. "Pardon? You are not guests?" He held out an arm to forestall Bianca's route. "Oh, then, I am sorry, I cannot allow you to proceed." He swept an arm towards the ornate lobby. "The facilities are for guests only."

Bianca, Maggie and Greenlee all turned to look over the empty lobby, their gazes sweeping across the vast marble floor, the vacant lounging area, the empty bar then glanced at each other.

"Are you serious?" Greenlee asked. "She just needs to pee and I don't see much of a line."

"It is policy, I'm afraid."

"Please," Maggie implored. "She'll be quick. Won't you, Munchie?" Miranda nodded her head quickly as Bianca picked the child up in her arms.

"It is not allowed."

"What?!" Greenlee exclaimed.

"Come on, pal," Maggie replied, starting to get a little impatient. "Just this once."

"I cannot."

Bianca held her daughter in her arms, then gently whispered in her ear before putting Miranda back onto the floor.

Suddenly, the little girl wailed loudly, startling Maggie, Greenlee and the clerk, and crossed her legs, bouncing up and down as if she was on a pogo stick. "Peepee, Momma...," she wailed. "Peepee, peepee, peepee!!"

Maggie looked from her daughter to her lover's devious little grin then up at the desk clerk. "Okay, look, my daughter really has to go to the bathroom, come on, can you help me out?"

Miranda, at Bianca's side, was anxiously bouncing up and down, her little legs still crossed, her little hands knotted in fists as she danced. "Peepee, peepee, peepee Momma!" she recited over and over. "Peepee, peepee, peepee!"

Suddenly, Greenlee began to feel her own insistent bladder and found herself unable to control a gentle bouncing on her toes. "Uh-oh," she murmured.

Bianca eyed her daughter. "Oh, Maggie," she said worriedly, "She's not completely potty trained, you know. If she doesn't go to the bathroom soon, she... she's going go right here!" She looked at Maggie. "Do you have her diaper bag? I could change her on that table over there."

The clerk followed the direction of Bianca's hand. The quickly growing tendrils of fear began to wind their way through his head when he noticed she was indicating the expensive glass and iron table between the settee and plush leather chairs. Sweat began to form at his hairline…

"Peepee, peepee, peepee!" Miranda chanted, as if she were a 45 rpm record and the needle was skipping with each revolution.

Greenlee's bouncing quickly became more energetic. All of a sudden the desk clerk's eyes grew to saucer-like proportions as Greenlee began mimicking the little girl, the two of them sharing the exact same look of anticipation and fretfulness.

"Right through there," he pointed out suddenly, stepping out of their way.

"Merci!" Bianca exclaimed, pulling her dancing child towards the restroom.

"Wait for me!" Greenlee shouted, racing after them. "Me, first! Me, first!!"

"Momma!!"

"Greenlee!"

"Sorry…"

Maggie stood back and smiled.

xoxox

As the days passed, Bianca began to wonder if Maggie was going to say anything at all about their anniversary. It was coming up in a couple of weeks and it was starting to bother the brunette if Maggie was even thinking about it. She knew Maggie was busy with school, but what if it didn't mean anything to her? What if she didn't remember? Or, what if Maggie didn't think that July 9th was anything special? Just another day in the grand scheme of things?

Bianca began to panic. July 9th was, to her, on the most important days of her life, right after the birth of her daughter and the day she got Miranda back in her arms. On July 9th, Maggie told Bianca she loved her and wanted to be with her, that she wanted a real relationship. Be _with_-with her. It was the day that they stopped being Bianca and Maggie and became BiancaandMaggie. Bound together for the rest of their lives by their love for each other, like TracyandHepburn, BurtonandTaylor, NewmanandWoodward and PittandAniston- Okay, scratch that last one, but Bianca knew she and Maggie would last.

She wanted Maggie to know she was fully committed to her and their relationship, not to mention as the wonderful family they had become with Miranda. Remembering Maggie and Miranda the night of the little girl's bad dream gave Bianca the inspiration she needed. She got to the office early one morning and contacted the legal department, her mind set on cementing their family.

When they gave her the heartbreaking information, she hung up and sat back in her chair, shaken but unbowed. She chewed on her pen for a long time, contemplating her next move, wondering if there was anyway she could actually give Maggie this gift.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, sitting up suddenly and reaching for her phone, as the light bulb popped on over her head. Without bothering Guylene, she dialed the 10 digit international number and waited as the phone rang on the other end.

"Jackson Montgomery," a deep male voice answered after a few moments.

"Uncle Jack? It's Bianca."

"Well, hello, sweetheart," Jack replied and Bianca could hear the smile in his voice. "What can I do for you?"

"Well…," she began uncertainly, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, "I was wondering if you could do a little research for me?"

"Of course, Bianca, you know I'd do anything for you. What do you need?"

"Well, I would like for you to arrange an adoption for me."

There was silence on the other end. "Excuse me?"

Bianca laughed, realizing she was being a little too obscure. "Sorry, Uncle Jack, I'm being very vague, aren't I?"

"Just a little, yes."

"Okay… I want Maggie to adopt Miranda. I want Maggie to be Miranda's mother."

"Have you checked with the legal department there for information?"

Bianca sighed. "Yes, I have. It seems the laws are very stiff concerning certain aspects of same-sex relationships in France. We're not allowed to adopt children here."

"Oh."

"Yes, well, don't get me started. But I would like for you to prepare the paperwork so that Maggie can adopt Miranda legally in Pennsylvania."

Jack chuckled. "It would be my pleasure, Bianca. I wondered when you would be asking me to do this."

"Honestly, Uncle Jack, I think I waited long enough."

"Well, I'll get right on it."

"Thank you, Uncle Jack."

"Don't thank me, Bianca. I'm honored to do it for you."

Bianca smiled, loving her uncle more than she ever had before. They spoke for a few more minutes before Bianca was called into a Board meeting, promising to speak again as soon as possible.

Bianca walked into the Boardroom feeling more satisfied and content than she'd felt in a very long time.

xoxox

Maggie flipped through the paper, scanning articles as she looked for the sports section. She kept looking over the top of the paper, trying to determine from Bianca's actions if she realized what date was rapidly approaching. The brunette seemed rather preoccupied about something having to do with Cambias, so Maggie couldn't get a read on her at all and wondered if she even realized their anniversary date was approaching.

The doctor-in-training was getting a little worried and decided she needed to step up her plans. She would start later that day, as soon as class was over.

As soon as her lecture ended, Maggie rushed into the library, her book bag smacking against her hip as she ran up the marble steps. She didn't want to do this at home where Bianca could catch her, she wanted it to be a complete surprise.

She went immediately to the circulation desk and got the attention of the woman behind the counter.

"Pardon," she called out. "Parlez vous anglaise?"

"Yes, I speak English," the woman replied with a decided Australian accent, her clear green eyes sparkling with amusement. "Can I help you with something?"

Maggie grinned. "I certainly hope so." She quickly explained to the woman what she was looking for and was guided to the legal texts she would need. "Wow," she said with another grin. "Looks like I need to get started."

"Well, good luck."

"Thanks," Maggie replied distractedly, dismissing the woman by quickly digging into one of the books.

"If you need anything, I'm at usually at the circulation desk. Just ask for Cecelia."

TBC-

_**Tell Me Why**-_  
Author Unknown

You can find a wonderful version of this song on Pat Benatar's _Synchronistic Wanderings_. This is the version Maggie sings to Miranda.

_**Child of Mine**-_  
Gerry Goffin & Carole King

Carole King is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Her seminal album _Tapestry_ is one of the best ever. This particular song can be found on _Carole King: A Natural Woman The Ode Collection 1968-1976_. People would be stunned to know some of the songs she's written…


	18. Friday in the Park with Maggie

Disclaimer - Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear

Rating - PG to PG-13

**The first, the last, my everything  
And the answer to all my dreams  
You're my sun, my moon, my guiding star  
My kind of wonderful, that's what you are  
I know there's only, only one like you  
There's no way they could have made two  
You're all I'm living for  
Your love I'll keep for evermore  
You're the first, your the last, my everything**

Barry White - _You're the First, The Last, My Everything_

Chapter 18 - Friday in the Park with Maggie

Early July 2006  
Paris, France

As dusk seeped its way in the bedroom window, Bianca sighed softly from her place on the bed, stretched out with financial transactions all around her. It was getting late and Maggie wasn't home from her study group yet and Bianca missed not having the blonde at her side. This was a familiar place for them in the evenings, after Miranda had finally fallen to sleep in her new big girl bed and the other side of the apartment was quiet for a short time. Maggie would have her laptop in her lap, her thick medical texts at her side, a pencil between her teeth as she took notes while searching the Internet. Bianca would be by her side, folders, spreadsheets and accounting documents in her own lap and flooding over on the floor at her side.

Bianca loved those evenings. They were so in tune with each other without having to carry on a conversation, both in their own worlds while still being in physical contact when a foot brushed a leg, or arms rubbed together. At ease and comfortable, insulated in a cocoon of their own making.

She let her head fall back onto her pillow as she thought about Maggie and her warm, soft scent, her own unique typing style, and the way she spoke out loud some of the large, frightening words she found in her medical books or on the Internet. Words like Onychocryptosis or Unguis Incarnatus, which to Bianca sounded horrifying until Maggie chuckled and told her they were both medical terms for an ingrown toenail. Then they became simply gross.

Bianca chuckled to herself at the memory then sighed, missing Maggie once more. A few moments later, she heard the front door swing open and then quietly close, the heavy 'snik' of the deadbolt slamming into place an instant later. She set the folder of papers beside her on the bed as Maggie staggered into the room, looking worn and tired.

"Hey, Tiger," she said softly, sliding off the bed and moving to her partner's side. "Are you okay?" Gently, she pulled Maggie into her arms and offered her a comforting embrace.

Maggie shook her head and slid her arms around Bianca's waist, leaning heavily into the brunette's body. "I'm exhausted. This core of classes is kicking my ass."

"Come here," Bianca whispered, taking Maggie's book bag and setting it on the chair near the window. "Do you want to shower? Or do you just want to go to bed?"

Maggie seemed to sway on her feet with exhaustion. "I think I just want to sleep." She paused and sighed. "For a week."

Bianca smiled sympathetically. "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. Come on, let's get you undressed and into bed."

"You make my exhaustion sound sexy, Boom Boom. Maybe I'm not so tired after all…"

"No way, Shorty, you're going to bed and going to _sleep_."

Maggie swayed tiredly again, her eyes drifting shut momentarily. "You're no fun."

"Yeah, and you're not fully awake. I just called you 'Shorty' and you didn't even flinch."

"Kiss me, Bianca, and I promise I'll be anything but asleep."

Bianca grinned. "No. You're going to bed. Now." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to Maggie's cheek. "In the morning, if you're not as tired, maybe we can jump each others bones."

"Oh, so romantic, Ms. Montgomery."

Despite only wanting to help her lover get ready for bed, Bianca had a hard time controlling her emotions as she tugged Maggie's t-shirt up and over her head, watching thick blonde-highlighted locks of hair tumble back over Maggie's shoulders. Or maintain her composure as she watched Maggie's taut belly muscles ripple as her fingers skimmed the shorter girl's waistline to unbutton her jeans.

Bianca began to sweat just a little as she pushed the Levi's down Maggie's legs, her mind no longer solely focused on her task of alleviating Maggie's exhaustion. After Maggie stepped out of the denim, Bianca managed to rise to her feet as she pulled up a pair of cotton sleep pants and tied them around Maggie's waist, then reached behind the blonde for the clasp of her bra. Her hands shook for a moment.

Slowly, Maggie's forehead made contact with Bianca's shoulder and Bianca had to smile to herself. The blonde was so tired not even the erotic nature of her undressing was registering with her. _Time to calm down, Montgomery_, she thought to herself. _Let her at least get some sleep before you attack her…_

"Okay, baby," Bianca whispered softly. "Sit down before you fall down."

With a flop, Maggie sat down on the edge of the bed, her forehead falling back onto Bianca's shoulder almost instantly. She sighed then nuzzled her nose into the crook between Bianca's shoulder and neck, placing a tender kiss on the warm skin.

"Are you tired or not?" Bianca asked playfully.

"Tired."

"Then I suggest you stop that."

Maggie giggled. "Sorry."

"You are not."

Another giggle. "You're right."

"Okay, come on. We're getting you to bed for some sleep. As much as I would enjoy making love with you, I don't think I'm ready for you to fall asleep on me, yet again, when we're in the middle of the act."

Maggie groaned. "One time, Bianca! One time! You're never going to let me forget, are you?"

"Huh-uh."

"Great. One little slip up and I'm never going to live it down…"

"Oh, trust me, Tiger, you've made up for it a time or two."

Finally managing to unclasp Maggie's bra, Bianca stepped back to allow the filmy garment to slip down the blonde's slender arms. This served two purposes in Bianca's mind. One, to allow Maggie to fully undress so she could get to bed, and two, to allow Bianca to admire her lover's bare body, her flawless perfection and beauty. Basically, to catch an eyeful.

Suddenly, as the bra fell away, Maggie's ring dropped to the floor, clattering down the little stepstool and smacking Bianca on the top of the foot in its free-fall.

"Ow!" Bianca exclaimed more in shock than actual pain, jumping back as the ring hit the floor. She bent down and picked up the gold and silver band. "What on earth-!"

"Oops," Maggie giggled, reaching out to pluck the ring from Bianca's palm and slip it back on her finger.

"Oops?" Bianca asked, looking at Maggie in amusement. "Oops?! Um, Tiger... why was your ring in your-."

Maggie grinned at Bianca impishly. "In my bra? Um, well, I wanted to keep it safe while I was in lab?"

"Is that an answer or are you asking me a question?"

"Um, yes?" Then she giggled again.

"Man, you _are_ tired."

Maggie giggled some more. "I didn't want to catch it on anything in the lab, you know, and rip a finger off my hand, so I took it off."

"And you put it in your bra because….?"

"Well," Maggie murmured, a gentle blush staining her cheeks, "so it would be close to my heart."

That stopped Bianca short for a moment, her heart suddenly flooded again with love for her best friend and partner. "Are you still tired?" she asked in a husky voice dripping with sensuality.

Maggie laughed.

And seriously considered it for a heartbeat…

The next morning, Maggie burrowed deeply into the sheets, her hands searching across the mattress for her lover's warm body. She had slept well the previous night, snuggled comfortably in Bianca's arm, the two of them cuddled close in the fresh smelling linens and fluffy pillows.

Maggie loved their bed. The huge pillow top mattress felt like sleeping on a cloud, especially when they used their 450-thread count bed sheets that were laundered to cool softness. And their down-filled pillows that cradled their heads gently, big enough for them to share, soft enough to hold the impression of Bianca's head if she arose before Maggie so Maggie could carefully place her own head there, giving her a sense of still being connected to her lover.

Nuzzling into the cool linen of the pillowcase, thinking that this was the best feeling ever, Maggie couldn't help but grin. "Man, I fall in love and I become a huge dork…"

"You didn't need to fall in love to become a dork," Bianca's voice corrected from the nursery doorway.

Maggie looked over at the brunette, who was lounging against the door to the nursery with her arms crossed over her chest and a smile on her face. "Hey, watch it," she said sleepily, stretching until her back popped and tacking on a yawn for good measure.

Bianca grinned. "Oh, yeah? What are you gonna do, snore me to death?"

"I do not snore!" Maggie exclaimed, stopping mid-stretch in indignation.

"Whatever," Bianca replied with a wave of her hand. "I know what I heard last night."

"Yeah, I'm sure you recognized the sound, since you snore like a pro."

"I most certainly do _not_!"

Maggie rolled onto her back on the bed and laughed. "Wow, if that didn't sound like pure Kane!"

"Hey!" Bianca shouted, striding towards the bed. "I am _not_ sounding like a Kane!" she complained petulantly, stomping a foot in total LaKane fashion. "Take it back!"

"I refuse to deny the truth!" Maggie replied with a laugh as she pushed herself up onto her left elbow to watch Bianca's mini-tantrum.

Bianca kept advancing. "You take it back!" she warned, reaching the bed and crawling across the cool sheets toward her lover.

Maggie grinned suddenly, her eyes sparkling with mischievousness. "Make me."

"Oh, you bet I will!" Bianca responded as she crawled up Maggie's body, forcing the blonde to relax back into the mattress. She hovered over her for just a moment before dipping her head and capturing Maggie's lips in a fiery kiss.

When their lips finally parted, Maggie gulped in a lungful of air. "You know, the whole point of this was to make me take something back by doing something I don't like. That ain't it." She reached up and kissed Bianca quickly. "I hope this isn't your method in the boardroom."

"Only when I want to get my way," Bianca murmured, pressing her lips to Maggie's once more, before gently licking them with her tongue, seeking entrance to Maggie's mouth.

"Oh, well, then…," Maggie whispered against Bianca's lips. "Maybe it _is_ working…"

Moments later, with night clothes hastily discarded and the covers pulled up high, Bianca made it a point to show Maggie her exact method for getting her way. Wrapped tightly in the arms of her lover, their warm, soft skin pressed together, their lips murmuring words of love, Maggie amended her earlier thought.

_This_ was the best feeling ever…

xoxoxox

Down in the den, Kendall flipped quickly through the French Cosmo magazine, her eyes on the cosmetics ads, her legs crossed and her right foot jiggling nervously as she perused the competition's lay-outs. Greenlee sat on the sofa beside her, emery board in hand, filing her perfectly manicured nails and rattling on about the former Mr. Greenlee Smythe.

"So I said to him 'hey, you're the one who tried to fly off a cliff on a motorcycle, Evel Knievel, don't make this my fault' and he said 'well, you're the one who kept crying about a baby 24/7' and I said-."

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Kendall exclaimed, throwing the magazine down on the floor in a fit of pique as she leapt to her feet. "My God, would you please shut up! You keep yammering and yammering about Ryan like I give a damn about Ryan! I don't give a _damn_ about Ryan, do _you_ give a damn about Ryan? No, you don't, so- Shut. Your. Yap. About. Ryan!"

Greenlee looked at Kendall, her eyes as big as saucers at the taller woman's outburst. "Jeez, what bug flew up your skinny little butt?"

Kendall closed her eyes and put her hand to her forehead in resignation. "L'Oreal."

"Um, excuse me?"

"L'Oreal, okay! L'Oreal, L'Oreal, L'Oreal!"

"Okay, I get it! L'Oreal is pissing you off! Why are you repeating things three times?" Greenlee began to mock Kendall. "_Shut up, shut up, shut up. L'Oreal, L'Oreal, L'Oreal!_ Why not shout something that's supposed to come in threes? Like Tic Tac Toe! Or Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!"

Kendall stopped her pacing and looked at Greenlee. "What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Hey, you started it!"

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Greenlee, do you remember we have a company to run? You know, a cosmetics company?"

"Yes, I remember," Greenlee replied condescendingly. "What do you think I am, stupid?" The taller woman cocked an eyebrow. "Don't answer that!"

"Well..."

"It was a historical question!"

Kendall burst out laughing. "You mean rhetorical! It was a _rhetorical_ question!"

"Whatever!" Greenlee flounced onto the sofa, crossing her arms and pouting. "You'd think you were Webster's dictionary or something."

"I'm sorry," Kendall replied, trying hard to control her laughter. She cleared her throat, chuckled once more, earning a nasty look from her business partner and best friend. She patted Greenlee's knee conciliatorily. "Sorry, sorry."

"Fine," Greenlee snapped, her arms still crossed peevishly over her chest. She swung her leg testily, avoiding Kendall's eyes so as not to forgive too easily. "Now, what's got your expensive silk undies in a bunch? Although when you wear a thong how can you tell…"

Kendall sighed. "L'Oreal has a new product on the market."

Her fit of pique forgotten, Greenlee sat forward with interest. "Really?"

"Yes, really. What, you think I'm making this stuff up?"

"Well, with you I never know. Sometimes, I think you do it just to get on my nerves."

"Oh, please. Like I don't have better things to do than try and piss you off."

Greenlee snorted. "Speaking of better things to do, where _is_ Zach?"

Before Kendall could answer, Bianca and Maggie strolled into the den, talking quickly to each other almost in a language all their own.

"What about that one we saw…"

"No, don't you remember? It was all…"

"Oh, yeah. But you don't think…"

"No, of course not. I mean, come on…"

"Okay, so, what about…"

"Are _you_ going to…?"

"Good point. Okay, then how about…"

"That would never work. You keep forgetting about…"

"Oh, yeah, you're right."

"Hey, I know!"

"No way! That would be terrible! Think about it! All of the… with some of that… I mean, seriously."

"Okay, okay. But don't you think even a little?"

"Well, maybe…. I guess even with the… and that other… it could work."

"What about…"

"Oh, yeah! I think that would be…"

"Perfect?"

"Yeah, perfect."

Kendall and Greenlee watched in utter fascination as the two young lovers carried on a complete conversation without finishing a complete sentence or thought, not a moment of silence falling between their words. And fully understanding each other's train of thought.

Finally, Kendall shook her head. "You're not soulmates," she said, while Greenlee sat beside her and goggled at the two of them. "You're the same fcking _person_."

"Oh, haha," Bianca replied.

"Takes one to know one," Maggie retorted, standing behind Bianca, hands on the brunette's hips.

"That is so-!" Kendall shouted, leaping to her feet.

"Not true!" Greenlee finished.

Bianca cocked an eyebrow at the pair while Maggie just smirked at them.

"Oh, shut up," Kendall muttered weakly.

xoxoxox

A couple days later, Maggie had a rare off from the lab and studying, so she had the Aston-Martin brought by the apartment by the Cambias motor pool. She wanted to take Bianca on a picnic, using the outing as a way to ask the brunette out for their anniversary celebration. She had been doing a lot of research at the library and was very, very close to having all the answers she needed before moving forward with her plans.

Waiting in the den as if she hadn't a care in the world, her insides were actually quaking with nerves. Zach had left earlier for the Aviation Club, an exclusive casino up on the Champs Elysees, and Kendall and Greenlee had taken Miranda for an afternoon outing. Things had fallen into place quite nicely, despite Maggie's nerves.

"You took her _where_?!" Bianca exclaimed into her cell phone as she stormed into the den, tossing one of Miranda's t-shirts onto the sofa in frustration.

Maggie jumped at Bianca's shriek. _Oh, Lord, what have those two done now?_ she thought to herself, willing her heart to stop pounding so hard and possibly return to its normal spot in her chest instead of it's current place of residence in her throat.

"You took Miranda to a _cemetery_?!"

Maggie rolled her eyes.

"It's Père Lachaise," Kendall whined through the phone so loud even Maggie could hear her. "Jim Morrison is buried here!"

Bianca jerked in surprise. "I don't care if Jim _Henson_ is buried there! It's a cemetery, Kendall! You took a _child_ to a _cemetery_!"

"Who's Jim Henson?" Greenlee could be heard asking.

"Brilliant," Bianca snapped. "You've taken our child to a cemetery, let me repeat a_ ce-me-ter-y_," she accentuated each syllable of the word for emphasis, "and you know where Jim Morrison is buried, but you have no idea who Jim Henson is?"

"Who is he?" Greenlee repeated. "Seriously, is he famous or something?"

"He created the Muppets!" Bianca shouted into the phone, holding the headset in front of her mouth in order to make her voice even more powerful. "You know, Kermit the Frog! Miss Piggy! Fozzie Bear!" There was silence from the other end of the line. "_Fraggle Rock! Fraggle Rock!_"

"Wow, she says it one more time and I'd swear she was doing an impression of you," Greenlee said to Kendall.

Kendall gave Greenlee a shove back a few paces. "Bianca," she said evenly, attempting to reason with the younger woman, "it's not just Jim Morrison. Edith Piaf is buried here. Maria Callas, Moliere, Proust, Chopin, Seurat, Isadore Duncan."

"Did you know she was strangled by her scarf, Kendall?"

"Um, what?"

"It got caught in the wheel of the car she was riding in and strangled her! To death!"

"Binks, I don't plan on re-enacting anyone's death scenes, for crying out loud. Père Lachaise is a beautiful place, all the trees and walkways. The sculptures are works of art. It's a learning trip."

"It's a _cemetery_!"

Kendall sighed. "Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas are buried here. Together."

"Oh, that'll be a nice message to send the child. Look, Miranda, here are two women who were in love with each other. Some day, Mommy and Maggie will be planted in the ground just like they are. Won't that be nice?"

"Bianca, this is history. _History_!"

"It's creepy!"

Having heard all she could put up with, Maggie jumped off the sofa and took the phone from Bianca's hands. "Hey, Kendall."

"Maggie-!" Bianca shrieked. Maggie held her off with a stiff-arm to the chest.

"Magster! Talk sense into her!" Kendall pleaded.

"Give me the phone, Mary Margaret!" Bianca demanded, trying to reach for the phone beyond the arm holding her at bay.

"Take her to see Abelard and Heloise first, okay? And stay away from Jim Morrison's grave."

"Maggie!" Bianca ordered.

"Will do!" Kendall agreed. "Come on, Greenpea, let's go!"

"I want to see this Jim Henson guy," Greenlee replied.

Chuckling, Maggie hung up the phone and handed it back to Bianca. "See how easy that was? You need to relax."

"Maggie! Cemetery! Creepy!"

Maggie grinned. "Bianca! Pretty! History! Let it go!"

Bianca pouted, her lower lip jutting out as she glanced through her downcast lashes at the small blonde. "I don't like cemeteries."

"Understandable, sweetie," Maggie murmured, brushing a lock of hair out of Bianca's eyes. "But it's a fascinating place and I honestly think Miranda will enjoy it."

"You're agreeing with… Kenlee?"

"Yeah, weird, isn't it?"

Bianca snorted. "Ya think?"

"Hey, at least they haven't taken her to the Catacombs."

"Oh, God," Bianca muttered with a shudder. "Don't even think that…"

Maggie pressed a kiss to Bianca's forehead. "Come on, let's get out of here. It's just the two of us and we have the whole afternoon to ourselves."

Bianca suddenly grinned, a devilish glint in her eye. "Do we really need to go out? We're all alone here, you know."

"Yeah, I know, but let's get out and enjoy the day. Maybe we can even find a place to make out for a little bit. What do you say?"

"I say… let's go."

A blinding smile lit Maggie's face as she took Bianca's hand and led her to the front door. "I have just the thing, Boom-Boom. Just the two of us."

The Vanquish sat at the curb, waxed to a mirror-like shine, the red calipers standing out against the dark grooved carbon-ceramic disk brakes. Maggie opened the passenger door for Bianca and ushered her into the streamlined leather seat before rounding the sleek, low-slung hood to slide behind the steering wheel.

With a grin at Bianca once more, Maggie turned the big engine over and pulled out onto Avenue Foch towards their destination.

"What have you got up your sleeve, Stone?" Bianca asked as they drove through the Parisian streets.

"Nothing," Maggie replied. "I just thought it would be nice for us to get away. Have a little picnic lunch. Be alone with each other for awhile, you know?"

"We could have done that at home."

Maggie sighed. "Yeah, then we would have ended up in the bedroom and then we would have been naked, and you know how that goes."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "It usually goes really well for me," she muttered, ducking her head and slipping a lock of coffee-colored hair behind her ear.

Maggie grinned to herself, having overheard Bianca's statement. And no one could deny their sex life wasn't incredibly sensual and fulfilling. But even Maggie needed to rest and recover on occasion.

Pulling the car into a spot near the Jardin du Luxembourg, Maggie got out and helped Bianca out of the passenger seat, then opened the trunk, or "boot" as she liked to call it just like the British did, to remove a picnic basket.

"Where did that come from?" Bianca asked in amazement as Maggie grabbed a blanket and the brunette's hand before leading them into the gardens.

"Well, now, that's a surprise. You're just going to have to wait until we get a spot and get settled."

They traversed the beautifully tended gardens, looking for a spot beneath a tree that afforded them shade and some privacy while still allowing them to people-watch the other garden visitors. Maggie found a place under a full tree not far from the octagonal pool, away from the hordes of sunbathers taking up the grassy strips of land further south.

The spot she had found was perfect, the sun dappling through the leaves to alternately illuminate them in golden light then hide them in subtle shade. Spreading out the blanket, she settled the basket onto the ground then assisted Bianca down onto their little square of paradise.

"Okay," Bianca said as she tucked her legs beneath her. "We're settled. Where did you get the picnic basket?"

Maggie grinned as she opened the basket, pulling out its contents. "Well, the bread came from that little bakery around the corner that we love so much. The wine is from our own private reserve and the food is from Charcuterie Charles. I picked it up on my way home from classes yesterday."

"So you planned this?"

"Yes, my love, I planned this." Reaching for the wine bottle, Maggie quickly and efficiently removed the cork and poured Bianca a glass of rich red wine before pouring one for herself. "You needed it. _I_ needed it. We _both_ needed it."

Bianca grinned. "I'll take understatements of the century for a thousand, Alex," she cracked as she took a sip of wine.

Maggie chuckled as she handed Bianca a slice of cheese. "Exactly. Here, try this with the cheese." She held out a thinly sliced bit of ham. "There's a lot of food here, so eat up."

Bianca smiled as she bit into the ham and cheese combination. Once again, Maggie was watching out for her, making sure she ate well. Bianca didn't know what she'd do without Maggie looking for her. The blonde knew Bianca's history and had made it her duty to take care of her, making sure she eats, holding her when she needed it during loud thunderstorms, kissing her lovingly, touching her deeply, loving her endlessly. Bianca sighed as she sipped more wine, her eyes never leaving Maggie's beloved face.

_Meanwhile, at Cimetière Père Lachaise_:

"Wow, look at all the trees," Kendall remarked in awe. "It looks like a park in here!"

"Yeah, a park full of dead people," Greenlee cracked.

Kendall glared at the smaller woman. "Shut up and give me the map," she snapped, snatching the pamphlet out of Greenlee's hands and unfolding it fully. "Maggie said something about Hints by Heloise."

"What? You're on crack."

"Don't say that in front of my niece."

"She's _my_ niece, too!"

"Only by default!"

"Wowd!" Miranda shouted, putting her hands over her ears. "You too wowd!"

Both women stopped suddenly and Kendall raced to Miranda's side. "Oh, Mimo, I'm so sorry."

"Me, too, kiddo," Greenlee added sincerely.

"Shhp!" Miranda replied authoritatively, slamming her fingers and thumb together in a 'shut-up' sign she'd seen her parents share on occasion. "Shhp!" she repeated.

"Holy crap," Greenlee muttered. "When did she become your mother?"

Kendall rolled her eyes as she knelt by the toddler. "Sorry about being so loud, sweetie. We'll try to be quieter, okay?" Miranda just nodded at her warily, knowing full well that Aunt Kenah and Aunt Gweenwee didn't always play nice together. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

"Otay."

They started off, leaving Greenlee face to face with a huge gargoyle atop a grave site. The menacing look on the stone creature sent a chill down Greenlee's spine and raised the hair on her arms. She was certain the thing's head moved when she took a step back.

"Wait for me!" she shrieked, turning and running after the other two.

_Jardin du Luxembourg_:

"More wine?" Maggie asked, holding up the bottle.

Bianca stretched like a cat after a long nap in a splash of sunlight. "Mmm, please. Is there any of that cheese left?"

"Plenty." The blonde held a piece to Bianca's lips, her eyes lighting up as white teeth bit gently into the creamy yellow wedge of Comté cheese. "Good, huh?"

"Oh, yeah… I think it's my favorite."

Maggie's brow furrowed slightly. "Even more than the brie?"

Bianca paused as she sipped her wine. "Well, okay, I still love a good brie, but this is wonderful." The rich cabernet only enhanced the nuttiness of the cheese as the flavor burst through Bianca's mouth. "Mmm, this is an taste experience all its own. So rich and nutty and creamy…"

"Dear Lord, Boom-Boom," Maggie growled huskily. "You just managed to make a hunk of cheese sound sexy…" Bianca just laughed as Maggie scooted closer. She sat facing Bianca, sliding up beside her so their hips pressed together. She rested her hand on the blanket on near Bianca's other hip, leaning close and nuzzling the brunette's neck with her nose. "You smell good."

"Yeah, you're just saying that so you can put the moves on me." But Bianca tilted her head to give Maggie better access despite her words.

"Mm, just a little." Maggie pressed her lips to the pulse beating under the porcelain skin of Bianca's throat. "B?"

"Ye- yes?"

"Do you know what July 9th is?"

Bianca's heart hitched in her chest. Yes, she knew for certain what July 9th was. It was their one year anniversary. She decided to play coy. "Sunday?"

Maggie pulled back. "It's our anniversary," she said in a bit of a hurt tone. Then she saw the twinkle in Bianca's chocolate eyes. "You knew!"

"Of course, I knew, Maggie. It's one of the greatest days of my life. Along with Miranda's birth and the day I met you."

Maggie's heart melted. "I love you, Binks."

"I love you, too, Tiger." She gave Maggie a quick peck on the lips. "So, what about Sunday, July 9th?"

"Well, I was wondering if you would go out to dinner with me. To celebrate."

Bianca smiled. "I would love to."

"Great. Is eight o'clock okay? It's not too late, is it?"

"No, it's perfect. I'll see if Kendall and Zach can watch Miranda." She paused. "Did you get me a present?" she asked innocently, thinking about the adoption papers Jack had sent to her a week ago sitting in her briefcase, awaiting Maggie's signature to make it official. "Hmm?"

"Well, now, you're just going to have to wait and see, now, aren't you? What is first anniversary? Isn't it, like, Kleenex or something?"

"It's _paper_, you goof."

Maggie shrugged. "Paper, Kleenex, same thing. I'm kind of looking forward to the third anniversary."

Bianca gave Maggie curious look. "Why?"

"Number 3 is leather, baby," Maggie replied, waggling her eyebrows at the brunette.

_Meanwhile, back at Cimetière Père Lachaise_:

"And this is Abelard and Heloise," Kendall said to Miranda as she read the brochure on the cemetery's most historic residents. They stood before an elaborate tomb, featuring a monument with carved statues of a man and a woman lying in repose, their hands held as if in prayer. "They were in love with each other but couldn't be together because things always seemed to keep them apart… hmm, that sounds familiar somehow…" She laughed. "Oh, right, that's the same as half the couples in Pine Valley."

Miranda just gave her a look, one finger stuck in the corner of her mouth.

"I know, Munchie, it really doesn't make much sense, does it?"

Greenlee came racing up, panting heavily, bending over to rest her hands on her knees. "Where the hell did you go?" she croaked. "I turned around and you were gone! Do you know how many dead people there are in here?"

Kendall and Miranda exchanged a look. "Yeah, over 70,000," Kendall replied. "It shouldn't be hard to find us since we're, you know, the ones who are still upright and breathing."

"That's not funny."

"Have you seen this?" Kendall replied, ignoring Greenlee's rantings. "Apparently these two loved each other very much. They wrote these incredible love letters to each other for years until he died. There's a story that when she died and they opened the crypt to put her remains in with his, he opened his arms so that he could hold her for all eternity."

"Okay, that's very creepy. You know, in romantically _creepy_ sort of way."

Kendall stood for a long moment, just looking at Greenlee then finally looked back at the toddler at her side. "Come on, Mimo. Let's go see Oscar Wilde."

"Are you serious?!" Greenlee exclaimed. "He's on the other side of the cemetery!"

"Then we'll walk slow so you can keep up." She grinned. "Besides, rumor has it the monument on his grave has a huge… well… you know…"

Greenlee gave Kendall a look. "Oh?" Kendall waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Ohhhh!"

"The same goes for Victor Noir. I hear if you rub it, it guarantees fertility."

"I'll be sure to stay away from it, then," Greenlee muttered.

They departed the monument marking Paris' most star-crossed lovers and made their way through the cemetery. They passed by the monument of Fredric Chopin, a stone muse weeping atop his grave site.

"Dead," Greenlee muttered.

There was Moliere's grave, a tomb sitting high off the ground on stone pillars.

"Hey, dead," Greenlee said as they walked by.

Not far away, in a shady, serene spot was the simple grave of Yves Montand and Simone Signoret, France's beloved screen couple.

"Wow, look," Greenlee exclaimed. "Dead!"

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Are you not seeing the fantastic statuary here? The artwork? The history?"

"The dead people…"

"If I didn't know better, I would think you were scared."

Greenlee snorted. "Please," she scoffed. "I live in Pine Valley where people come _back_ from the dead. This… this does not scare me."

"Yeah, whatever."

They finally found Victor Noir's grave and were amazed. The tomb featured a bronze statue of Noir lying as he fell on the street after being shot by Pierre Napoleon Bonaparte, his top hat beside him. The hat held several fresh roses, tossed in by visitors to the grave wishing for fertility. But the notable point was the spot on his trousers, a protuberance in his groin that had been polished to a high shine by the women who rubbed the bulge in their quest for fertility.

Kendall read from the pamphlet . "Myth says that placing a flower in the upturned top hat after kissing the statue on the lips and rubbing its genital area will enhance fertility, bring a blissful sex life, or, in some versions, a husband within the year. As a result of the legend, those particular components of the tarnished bronze statue are rather well-worn." She glanced again at the statue. "That's an understatement…"

Greenlee smirked. "I'll bet he was very popular." She paused. "You know, when he was alive."

They made their way over to Oscar Wilde's tomb, a huge art deco Egyptian angel, the cement covered in lipstick from kisses placed upon the tomb.

"You know, the French are incredibly weird when it comes to dead people," Greenlee whispered. "Rubbing that one guy's wanker, kissing Oscar Wilde's tomb- he was gay, you know… leaving love letters at that one place."

"Heloise and Abelard."

"Yeah, them. I don't get it…"

Kendall sighed again. "Yeah, I kinda figured." She and Miranda started off, the little girl actually fascinated by the sculptures that figured prominently in the gravesites, pointing to angels and muses with interest. "I know, sweetie, Aunt Gweenwee doesn't get it, does she?"

"Nope," Miranda agreed as they moved down another shaded path. "Doesn't get it…"

_At Jardin du Luxembourg:_

Maggie fed Bianca another grape. "Are you ready to go?" she asked, her breath hitching as Bianca's lips closed around her fingers.

"Why?" Bianca teased, a devilish glint in her eye. She chewed the grape sensually. "Was there something else you wanted to do?"

"Yeah," Maggie growled. "You."

Bianca just looked at Maggie for a long moment, seeing the dark, dangerous desire in the blonde's eyes. "Let's go," she blurted, suddenly tossing items back into the picnic basket. "Come on!" she exclaimed when she saw Maggie sitting there in amazement. "What are you waiting for?"

Maggie smiled. "What's you're hurry, Boom Boom?"

"Um, Kenlee and Miranda are not at home? We have the place to ourselves? Alone? Quiet? No interruptions?"

Maggie gave her a look then jumped to her feet. "Well, what are you waiting for!" she exclaimed, tossing more stuff in the basket and yanking the blanket up off the ground. "Move it, Montgomery! Come on!"

Arms full, blanket trailing behind, the two of them rushed for the park entrance near where they parked the Vanquish. Maggie stumbled as she dug out the car keys, tossing everything haphazardly into the boot, then practically shoving Bianca into the passenger seat before jumping behind the wheel.

She left 4 inches of rubber on the street in her haste to get home.

_Back at Cimetière Père Lachaise:_

"Okay," Kendall said, hiding Miranda's face in her shoulder. "That was a little _too_ creepy." She led them away from the Auschwitz Memorial, featuring a skeletal figure pushing a wheelbarrow containing another skeletal figure. "You can wait and learn all about that in school, not right now." She looked around. "Where's Greenlee?"

"Gweenwee woud," Miranda said to Kendall, taking the curly haired woman's cheeks in her hands. "Vewy woud."

"Yeah, sweetie, I know." Kendall sighed. "Come on, let's go see Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Your mom told me a story about them on the phone earlier."

"Otay."

Greenlee stared at the ghostly figure before her, shrouded in cloth, its bare arm reaching into the Famille Raspail mausoleum. "It's just a statue," she murmured to herself. "Just a statue." She paused. "A statue that _moved_!" she shrieked, turning and hurrying towards the entrance.

On her way, she passed reclining painters, huge busts, weeping angels, muses, a pelican and something that greatly resembled a vampire bat. The trees seemed to be closing in on her, and even though the sun still sprinkled light through the leaves, Greenlee was sure the branches were reaching out to her, trying to snatch her deeper into the cemetery. Her heart thumped in her chest as she hurried along, goosebumps rising on her arms as she felt eyes boring into her back. She could hear the blood racing through her veins.

She glanced up at saw a cherub. "You shut up!" she snapped, pointing at the fat little statue. "Oh, I knew this was a bad idea…"

Kendall and Miranda stood at the gated entrance to the cemetery, looking back at the monuments and the memorial to the dead. The sun was warm on their faces as they soaked up the incredibly atmosphere of Parisian history. The sidewalk outside the cemetery bustled with afternoon sightseers, Parisians going to market, family members coming to spend time with departed loved ones.

Greenlee came racing down the cobbled path, her face white as a sheet. "All done here," she shouted as she sped past the entrance and onto the sidewalk. "Let's go home!"

Kendall's brow furrowed. "Are you okay?"

"Sure! Sure! I'm fine! Just tired, that's all." She smiled then faked a huge yawn. "See? Just tired. I sure could use a nap. How about you? Could you use a nap? I could use a nap. I'll bet we all could use a nap. Let's go home and take a nap. Okay?"

"O-okay."

"But I's not tired," Miranda replied in confusion.

Kendall just gave the child a look and shrugged her shoulders. Miranda shrugged hers back, chubby hands skyward in a "whatcha gonna do?' response. They hurried after Greenlee who was already down the stairs to the metro station, wanting as far away from this little daytrip as possible.

xoxoxox

Bianca shoved Maggie onto the bed and climbed onto the mattress beside her, leaning down to capture Maggie's lips in a rapacious kiss. A flurry of hands and clothes began whirling through the air in their haste to be skin to skin. Bianca took control, devouring Maggie completely, wholly, her desire unabated with each enduring touch, kiss or caress.

Whenever Bianca became the aggressor, Maggie secretly loved it. It felt as though the brunette was freeing herself, becoming the strong, confident Bianca Maggie had first met and eventually fell in love with. Even after all this time, there were moments Maggie felt Bianca holding back, still afraid to let herself become the sexual being Maggie knew she could be.

It always amazed Maggie how they had seemed to heal each other when it came to their physical relationship. Bianca had still been learning about herself and her desires when Michael's attack left her broken and bowed. She had admitted to Maggie that she and Lena had been intimate on a couple of occasions, but following the rape the thought of anyone touching her was frightening. The only person she allowed to hold her, really hold her, other than family had been Maggie. She always kept part of herself back from Lena, unable to completely relax and let go when in her arms.

With Maggie, Bianca let go completely. She was wild and sensual and free. She discovered new things about herself, her wants and desires. She realized she loved being physical with Maggie, taking control many times, but courageously giving it more often, something she had found impossible to do after the rape. To finally give herself over, completely surrender any and all control at her most vulnerable, gave Bianca a sense of self she had never known before.

And Maggie… she knew now how confused she had been. Her sexual encounters with Henry and Jamie, what had amounted to naïve, innocent groping, taught her nothing, other than sex could be fun if not necessarily fulfilling. And those moments with them when she thought of Bianca, well, that should have been just a bit of a clue. But then there had been Jonathan and his brand of sex. Manipulative, controlling, scary, on more than one occasion, Maggie feared for her safety, if not her life.

With Bianca, Maggie had discovered what being loved was truly all about. The feeling of being needed, being wanted, that your lover held your wants and needs above their own. The tenderness that came with being loved, how a touch didn't have to hurt or coerce or intimidate, how lovemaking was an intimate touching of souls, not a time of domination and control.

Together, learning about each other, Bianca and Maggie had discovered themselves as well as the other. One learning to trust and enjoy making love again, the other discovering that making love was not about taking for oneself, but about giving.

"Do you think we have too much sex?" Bianca asked softly as she lay cradled in Maggie's arms, her fingers gently caressing Maggie's wrist.

"There's no such thing as 'too much sex', Boom Boom," Maggie replied cheekily, her lips pressed to Bianca's temple. She paused. "You ask this a lot, you know. Are you concerned that you're getting sexed up too much or not enough?"

Bianca chuckled. "Neither, actually, I think it's just about right." She sighed. "I guess I've never been in a relationship like this where we're always making love, or necking or wanting to make love… It's all kind of new to me."

"You can't be serious," Maggie replied incredulously. Bianca just nodded against her shoulder. "B, you were in a committed relationship with… with… you know…"

Bianca smiled. "Yeah, I know, but it was never like this."

Maggie snorted. "Then Lena was an idiot." She shifted so she and Bianca were facing each other, their noses practically touching, their eyes locked on one another. "Bianca, this is what being in love is. This never-ending appetite we seem to have for each other. We're still discovering each other. We're still caught up in the excitement of falling in love…"

"I love you, Maggie."

"I love you, too, Bianca. Always have, always will." She leaned in and kissed Bianca's lips. "Besides, one day you're going to complain that I never touch you anymore. Or you're going to have a headache when I'm hot to get it on."

Bianca laughed. "No, I will never be my mother."

"Well, thank God for that, but I really didn't need insight into your mom's sex life…"

"Yeah, well, if _I_ have to hear about it, so do you."

xoxoxox

Kendall wheeled the stroller into the apartment, Greenlee on her heels. Miranda was in the seat sound asleep, her Elmo clutched in her arms.

"I think she's worn out," Kendall whispered as they entered the den. She lifted the child out of the stroller and laid her on the blanket. "I'll just let her nap here. I saw Bianca and Maggie are home and…"

Greenlee sighed. "Yeah, since they aren't in here making out on the sofa, chances are pretty good they're upstairs having a little afternoon delight." Kendall smacked Greenlee on the arm. "Hey!"

"Thanks for planting thoughts in my head," the taller woman snapped. "Great. Thanks ever so much."

"Hey, I refuse to suffer alone. Seriously, I think they're sex addicts. You see the way they keep kissing and touching each other? I mean, really…"

Kendall screwed her eyes shut tight. "Go to your safe place," she murmured to herself. "Go to your safe place. Greenlee isn't here to put visions in your head, you're in your safe place."

"Hey!"

Kendall opened her eyes. "Damn, I'm still here…" She looked at Greenlee. "Double damn, so are you…"

"Oh, bite me. I'm going to take a nap."

"Good, I'm going to go find Zach."

"Whatever." Greenlee stretched out on the sofa and closed her eyes. "You go on. Miranda and I will be just fine."

Kendall didn't even wait for Greenlee to finish talking before she hurried out of the den and then the apartment. Greenlee lay on the sofa for a moment, watching the shadows of late afternoon move quietly across the room. Something creaked in the corner and she jumped, her eyes snapping wide open.

"Relax, Greenlee," she muttered to herself. "Jeez."

Miranda wandered over, having awakened at Kendall's departure. "Here, Gweenwee," she said, holding out her hand. "Take Ehmo." And she placed the red Elmo plushie on Greenlee's chest. "You no be scewed wif Ehmo."

"Oh, Munchie," Greenlee said softly, picking up the doll. "Thank you, Sweetie, but don't you need him?" Miranda vigorously shook her head. Greenlee looked at the doll for a moment then reached for the child. "Come here, Sweetie. Let's hold him together, okay?"

Miranda gave Greenlee a sweet, innocent smile. "Otay."

And they both curled up on the sofa and fell asleep, each one with a hand on the little red doll.

xoxoxox

The moonlight filled the room through the window as Maggie slipped quietly out of bed, careful not to disturb Bianca from her spot curled up on the bed, the white linen sheet draped around her waist. Maggie stopped suddenly and admired Bianca's flawless skin, silvered ethereally by the glow of the moon, the subtle perfect curve of her shoulder, the dip of her waist, the rounded line of her hip. For a moment, Maggie was tempted to climb back into the bed and pull Bianca close, waking her with kisses and caresses, and sink back into their lovemaking as they had earlier that evening.

Sighing, she turned away, deciding maybe she should let the girl rest and gather her strength before attacking her again, and tread lightly across the carpet to where her book bag lay in the chair. With only the moonlight to guide her, she pulled out an extravagant Cartier jewelry box and moved quietly over to the window. Glancing back at Bianca to make sure she hadn't awakened, Maggie opened the box and lifted out the LOVE bracelet she had picked up on her way home from her study group.

Even in the night's illumination, the highly polished gold shimmered, the delicate screws shining and glinting in the glow of the waning moon. Turning the bracelet to the moonlight, she was able to make out the inscription she had had engraved inside. _All my love forever, your Maggie,_ it read. Smiling, Maggie carefully placed the bracelet back inside the box.

"Perfect," she whispered, slipping the box into her dresser drawer for safekeeping. Slowly tiptoeing back to the bed, she slipped beneath the covers and snuggled up against Bianca's back. With a tiny little smile on her lips, she drifted off to sleep.

Bianca woke to Maggie's gentle snores, the blonde curled up with her back to Bianca and her butt pressed against Bianca's hip. As gently and quietly as she could, Bianca attempted to slip out of the bed, freezing momentarily when Maggie muttered something in her sleep and rolled over, tossing a leg over Bianca's waist. Stuck in limbo half in and half out of the bed, pinned to the mattress by Maggie's toned and muscular thigh, afraid of moving and waking her partner up, Bianca sat still and held her breath.

Eventually, after sitting motionless for so long her muscles had started quaking, Bianca shook her head and gave Maggie a gentle yet firm elbow in the gut. With a grunt, the blonde rolled over, yanking the sheet up to her neck and burying her head beneath her pillow. However, the sound of Maggie's snoring could not be muffled by the thick down pillow she was burrowed under.

Taking a relieved breath, Bianca slid out of the bed and tiptoed across the floor to where her briefcase rested on the dresser. She snapped open the locks and stopped dead as the sound seemed to echo through the room. Cautiously glancing over her shoulder, she saw Maggie still snuggled under her pillow and she sighed. Carefully opening the case so that the leather wouldn't creak, she reached in and found the heavy envelope from which she pulled out a thick sheaf of papers.

Tilting the legal documents toward the moonlight, she read the first few lines:

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT FOR THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA  
AT PINE VALLEY

In the matter of the adoption of:  
Miranda Mona Montgomery-Stone  
(child's name after adoption)  
DOB: 3/14/04, A Minor Child  
By Mary Margaret Stone  
(Petitioner)

Jack had stuck a Post-It note on the bottom of the last page and written Bianca a short note: _Have Maggie sign and date here then return the papers to me. I'll file them with the court the minute I receive them. Congratulations to all three of you. Love, Uncle Jack, Attorney at Law._

With a smile to herself, she slid the papers back into the envelope and pulled open her sock drawer, hiding the papers beneath the clothes until she was ready to give them to Maggie.

"Sunday," she whispered, patting the socks that hid her surprise. "Sunday."

Closing the drawer, and cringing when it squealed in protest, she rushed back to the bed and crawled under the covers, quickly pretending to be asleep.

"Hmmph, what-," Maggie grunted, emerging from her hibernation. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Bianca replied, trying her best to appear as asleep as Maggie was.

"Did you hear something?"

"No, did you?"

Maggie looked at Bianca confused. "What?"

"What?"

"Am I still asleep and having a weird dream where this actually makes sense?"

Bianca smiled sleepily. "It's possible."

"Oh, okay, then."

Giggling, Bianca pulled Maggie into her arms. "Come here, Tiger. Let's get some sleep."

Cuddling closely in her lovers arms, Maggie nuzzled her nose into Bianca's neck and held the brunette tightly.

"I love you, Boom Boom."

Bianca smiled and pressed her lips to Maggie's forehead. "I love you, too."

Before Bianca had finished speaking, Maggie was snoring lightly against her skin. With a grin, Bianca settled in and followed her love into the gossamer world of dreams.

TBC-

Up next… The Anniversary

In the Bianca/Maggie conversation with incomplete sentences, I have no idea what they're talking about, either… and I have no idea who is saying what… which?... what… :blink:

Check out the website for The Catacombs by Googling it - I can see why Bianca wouldn't want Kenlee to take Miranda here.

I also recommend checking out the Official site of Père LaChaise. You can take a virtual tour and see actual monuments.


	19. Happy Anniversary, Baby

Disclaimer - Do not use in shower.

A/N - I've tried a little different method of storytelling in this chapter. It's mostly flashback, but doesn't end at the return to the opening scene. I hope it doesn't confuse anyone… I paraphrased, kinda, a scene from _Say Anything_ here, and I'll bet you can all figure out which one before you even read the chapter.

I also want to thank each and everyone of you who have left feedback or read this story, and a special thank you to those of you who keep bumping this up to give me a kick in the butt... I appreciate it and it's knowing you're still interested in the story I'm telling that keeps me going...

The next chapter may be a little longer in coming. While I _am_ working on it, I'm also taking a little vacation to Sin City to have some fun.

This chapter is ridiculously long. I apologize but I couldn't seem to stop myself.

**Maybe it's intuition**  
**But some things you just don't question**  
**Like in your eyes**  
**I see my future in an instant**  
**And there it goes**  
**I think I've found my best friend**  
**I know that it might sound more than a little crazy**  
**But I believe**  
**I knew I loved you before I met you**  
**I think I dreamed you into life**  
**I knew I loved you before I met you**  
**I have been waiting all my life**  
Savage Garden - _I Knew I Loved You_

Chapter 19 - What a Difference a Year Makes

**Paris, France  
Early morning July 10, 2006**

Maggie lay in bed staring up at the ceiling with a little smile on her mouth, her hair a tousled mess from fingers constantly running through it, her lips swollen from voracious and excited kisses, her muscles tired and sore from exertion. Bianca lay in her arms looking much the same as Maggie, her body pressed tightly to the little blonde's, an arm thrown casually across her waist and her head nuzzled beneath Maggie's chin. The sheets were rumpled around them, modestly covering their bare skin save for a smooth leg tossed over a hip or a rounded shoulder beneath the palm of a warm hand.

"Maggie?" Bianca asked softly, her fingers gently tracing patterns over the blonde's arm, raising goose flesh in their wake. "Are you okay?"

Maggie's smile grew into a full-blown grin as she caught Bianca's wayward hand in her own. "I'm fine, B. How are you?"

Bianca pushed herself up on an elbow and pushed her unruly hair off her face. "I'm wonderful," she replied huskily, reaching out a finger to brush a few strands of blonde hair out of Maggie's eyes. "So… was it a good day for you?"

That made Maggie laugh. "It was a _great_ day for me. How about you?"

"It was a good day for me, too." She snuggled closer and pressed a kiss to Maggie's throat, her eyes falling to the golden bracelet that now circled her wrist. "Actually, the whole weekend was pretty okay…"

Saturday Morning  
June 8, 2006

"Canpakes!" Miranda shrieked, the fork in her fist raised high above her head. Bianca and Maggie both eyed the fork, watching with matching grimaces as a heavy drop of amber syrup languidly dropped free of the tines and fell with the urgency of the contents of a lava lamp to land thickly on Miranda's pudgy forearm. "Yum!" the child exclaimed, twisting her arm around to valiantly lick the sweet treat from her skin. "Fank you, 'Aggie. Wuv you!"

"You're welcome, Munchie, I love you, too," Maggie replied, reaching for the utensil still locked in the little girl's grasp. "Here, sweetie, why don't I take that for you?"

"Otay," Miranda replied distractedly, releasing the fork in the one hand while reaching for a piece of pancake with the other. Bianca could only smile with amusement as she watched her little girl feasting on her favorite breakfast treat. "Mommy?" Miranda called out, pulling the brunette from her musings. "Some?" she offered, holding out a bite of Maggie's world famous pancakes.

Eyeing the syrup-soaked flapjack warily, Bianca managed a smile. "No, sweetie, it's all for you. Okay?"

"Otay." And with that, Miranda stuffed the proffered bite into her own mouth, grinning a sticky, syrupy grin at her mother.

"Hey!" Maggie exclaimed in mock indignation. "What about me?"

Miranda grinned at the blonde and reached for another bite of pancake. "Here, 'Aggie," she said, offering up the morsel. "Eat!"

With a grin, Maggie took the bite from Miranda's fingers then proceeded to nibble on the little girl's hand, making munching noises as she did so. Miranda giggled with glee as Maggie doted on her. Bianca laughed at the sound of her daughter's squeals and Maggie's munching sounds.

"Are you done, Munchie?" Maggie asked after the little girl stopped giggling.

"Yep," Miranda replied. "Wanna play wif Leo."

Maggie and Bianca gave each other a knowing look that almost turned into a battle of wills.

"Oh, okay!" Bianca exclaimed, throwing her hands up in surrender. "I'll clean her up!"

Maggie gave Bianca a smug grin. "I have to clean up the kitchen, you know," she answered sweetly.

"Yeah, whatever," Bianca grumbled as she lifted the sticky toddler out of her high chair. "She's your daughter, too, you know."

Maggie's heart leapt in her chest, knowing that she'd been thinking about that for a long time, being Miranda's other mother in words as well as deeds. "Not when she's covered in syrup," she managed to joke to Bianca.

"Bath-time, Sweetie," Bianca said to Miranda, tossing Maggie a dirty look as she carried the little girl out of the kitchen.

"Hey, Binks," Maggie called after the retreating brunette, "play your cards right and you could give me a bath later!" Maggie heard the kitchen door swing open again behind her before she found herself pressed up against the counter, Bianca leaning into her with their daughter still in her arms. The brunette pressed her lips to Maggie's hungrily. "Mmm…"

"As long as you have a little syrup on you, too," Bianca replied several moments later, her lips still brushing against Maggie's, "you have a deal." And then she was gone.

Maggie sagged against the counter and attempted to catch her breath, her eyes on the door where Bianca and Miranda had exited. Suddenly grinning, she found the bottle of maple syrup and set it aside. One thing that Maggie had learned in their nearly one year together was that Bianca actually loved little exercises like this that involved foods and flavors and textures.

She grinned to herself, remembering episodes involving whipped cream, fresh strawberries, chocolates and other flavorful treats. They had their very own version of that scene from _9 ½ Weeks_ they liked to act out on occasion…

It hit Maggie then that it had been quite a while since she and Bianca had availed themselves of the kitchen, necking like teenagers as they had in the past. Since the house appeared to be quiet still, with Kendall and Zach probably still cocooned in bed together and Greenlee probably muttering to herself about the noises coming through the wall, Maggie figured she and Bianca had a little time to catch up on lost kitchen time.

She had he back to the kitchen door rinsing plates to put in the dishwasher when she heard Bianca return, the swinging door rocking gently back and forth as Bianca's steps treading lightly across the floor. Arms slipped around the blonde's waist as lips pressed gently to her neck.

"Is she all clean?" Maggie asked, tilting her head to give Bianca better access to continue her ministrations.

Bianca grinned against Maggie's tender skin. "Clean and 'playing wif Leo'," she mimicked.

"Good," Maggie murmured, drying her hands on a dishtowel. She turned in Bianca's arms. "You know, they say the kitchen is the warmest room in the house." She grinned mischievously. "You wanna turn the heat up a little more?"

Bianca laughed. "I don't think that's what they mean by that."

"I know," Maggie replied with a chuckle of her own. She hopped up onto the Italian tile counter and pulled Bianca to stand between her knees. "But let's raise the temperature anyway…"

"Ooh, I like the way you think," Bianca murmured, allowing Maggie to pull her closer. She rested her hands on the counter on either side of Maggie's hips and leaned in. "You smell good," she whispered, her nose nuzzling the soft spot behind Maggie's ear.

Maggie chuckled and buried her hands in Bianca's dark chestnut locks, holding her where she was. "Yeah, it's the latest thing. Eau de Aunt Jemima."

Bianca chuckled huskily as she slid her lips over Maggie's throat and across her jawline to find her lips. The kiss began gently, sweetly, before suddenly turning deep and hungry. Maggie's arms slid around Bianca's neck, pulling her tightly into the blonde's smaller frame as Bianca leaned in closer, pressing Maggie back on the counter until her head made soft contact with the cabinet behind her.

Bianca's hands found Maggie's hips, slipped around her waist and pulled the slight body against her own. Someone moaned huskily, the kiss became hungrier, lips collided, caressed, tongues tangled, danced.

Oblivious to the outside world, they never heard the kitchen door swing open and Kendall enter. The curly headed beauty took one look at the necking couple and stopped dead, then spun on her Jimmy Choo-clad heel and exited immediately from whence she came.

"Unbelievable," she muttered to herself as she slammed the swinging door open with her palm.

Maggie broke the kiss and pressed her forehead to Bianca's shoulder, her mouth open against the pulse thundering in Bianca's neck. Quickly pulling her close and burying her hands in the brunette's hair again, she sealed her lips to Bianca's, plundering the brunette's mouth as she felt strong, slim arms encircle her waist and hold her close. They fell into each other immediately, sinking deeply into the kiss. Maggie kissed Bianca again and again, reveling in the softness of her lips, the warmth of her mouth, the velvet glide of her tongue.

The kitchen door swung open and Zach entered with the morning paper. He skidded to a halt when he looked up and saw the pair at the counter locked in a heated embrace, the paper now forgotten in his hand. With an enigmatic smirk and a stoic shake of his head, he turned and left the kitchen before the door had even had a chance to swing closed behind him.

Bianca reached up a hand, cradling Maggie's cheek in her palm, her fingers brushing the hair over Maggie's ear. She caught Maggie's upper lip between hers, marveling again at the heated softness of Maggie's mouth…

They both dove back in, their lips crashing together hungrily as they held each other tight, warmth pressed to warmth, hands lovingly cradling bodies, hearts beating heavily.

The kitchen door swung open once more and heels skidded unceremoniously to a stop on the tile floor. A tiny foot stomped the tile angrily as fists and teeth clenched in frustration.

"Thanks for the warning, guys!" Greenlee groused as she stormed out the kitchen door. "A simple 'don't go in there' would have worked, you know!"

Maggie pulled back a hair's breadth and smiled into Bianca's eyes. "I really missed the kitchen," she whispered softly.

**Saturday Afternoon  
June 8, 2006**

The little family spent the afternoon taking a walk, from the Champs Elysees to the Louvre and the Tuileries before heading back towards the 16th Arrondisement, enjoying the gardens and window shopping at all the stores they passed. Maggie insisted they stop at Lenôtre for a sweet treat before returning to the apartment and whatever calamities awaited them there.

While Bianca took Miranda in her stroller to find a table, Maggie waited at the counter for someone to take her order. Settling the little girl into a booster seat, Bianca grinned to herself as she heard Maggie place their order in her ever-improving French.

"Oui," she heard the petite blonde say. "Je voudrais deux croissant aux chocolat et un tarte aux framboise, s'il vous plaît."

Bianca felt a tingle shoot up her spine and it made her chuckle as she ducked her head. Who would have thought the sound of Maggie's voice wrapping itself around the romance languages of France and Italy would get Bianca all hot and bothered? Then again, who would have thought Maggie reading aloud from one of her incredibly thick medical texts would do the exact same thing?

Her mind suddenly darted back to a day not too long ago when Maggie was in the den studying, her lips forming the words she read in her medical book, a look of intense concentration on her face. The sun fell through the window and onto Maggie's blonde head, sending off a golden halo of light around her. Bianca's heart had thumped to a stop then started pounding in her chest as she watched Maggie concentrating hard on the text in front of her, lips moving to form the intricate and massive terminology. Bianca's skin tingled and gooseflesh formed as Maggie read silently, until the moment she said _Hidradenitis suppurativa_, when Bianca suddenly shuddered with desire and immediately jumped on the blonde, sweeping the books off the desk and attacking her right there.

It was later as they lay sweaty and gasping for air that Maggie informed the shame-faced brunette that _Hidradenitis suppurativa_was a disease that caused boils in the armpits and groin area. Bianca was disgusted. Why did all the gross diseases have the most fascinating sounding names?

Bianca was startled back to the present when, Maggie arrived with their treats. She had just gotten Miranda settled at the table as Maggie placed a fruit-laden tart and large cup of coffee in front of her before handing Miranda a sippee cup of Orangina. The blonde then slid into her seat next to Bianca, broke off a flaky bite of pastry and handed it to Miranda to munch on. With a grin at her lover, Maggie blew on her café au lait before taking a sip.

"How's the tart?" she asked innocently.

"It's very good," Bianca replied, taking a bite of fresh raspberries and vanilla custard. She held a bite of the pastry out to the blonde. "Taste?"

With a devilish twinkle in her eye, Maggie leaned forward and took the bite in her mouth, her lips wrapping sensually around the tines of the fork before pulling the morsel off the utensil. Her eyes locked on Bianca as she ate the tasty treat, then let her tongue snake out to lick a tiny bit of crust off her lips. Bianca's eyes tracked Maggie's tongue and she swallowed hard, a fine sheen of sweat breaking out on her forehead as her mind took a quick and perfect dive into the gutter.

"You did that on purpose," she finally managed to choke out, giving Maggie an accusing glare. _Add eating to the list_, she thought to herself, _Speaking French, medical…ese and eating_.

Maggie gave Bianca an innocent look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Bianca snorted indelicately. "Yeah, right."

With a grin and a wink, Maggie turned to Miranda, who was happily munching away on her chocolate-filled croissant. "Hey, little monkey," she said to the little girl, "how's that taste?"

Miranda gave Maggie a chocolate-smeared grin, her light brown bangs falling into her eyes and she nodded her head enthusiastically. "It's good, 'Aggie!"

"I knew it would be."

Miranda held out her hand. "Bite?"

"No thanks, sweetie, that's all for you."

The little girl gave Maggie another grin. "Otay," she replied with a shrug, shoving the bite in her mouth.

Bianca watched the interplay between her two favorite girls with a smile on her face. It was so obvious the love Maggie held for her little girl, and how Miranda returned that love completely and wholeheartedly. Shaking her head at her soft heart, she turned her attention back to her raspberry tart.

"I want to adopt Miranda," Maggie said suddenly.

Bianca's fork stopped halfway to her mouth. "What?" She suddenly got nervous, and just a tad paranoid. "Did Uncle Jack call? Have you talked to Uncle Jack? This is rather sudden, isn't it? You talked to Uncle Jack, didn't you?"

Maggie looked at Bianca, worried her girlfriend had suddenly unraveled like someone had pulled on the loose thread of a tapestry. "No, I haven't-."

"It sounds like you have. Have you? Did you talk to Jack? What did he tell you? What do you know? Did he tell you something?" She paused for a nanosecond to catch her breath. "Oh, my God, you've been in my drawers, haven't you!"

Maggie watched her girlfriend suddenly morph into Martin Short as nervous lawyer Nathan Thurm from that skit on _Saturday Night Live _in the blink of an eye. She waited expectantly, certain the next words out of Bianca's mouth would be "_I'm_ not being defensive, _you're_ being defensive" and suck a cigarette to ash all the way down to the filter in one puff.

"Okay, you need to calm down before your head explodes," she said quickly. "Bianca, relax, it's just something I thought about. If you don't want-."

"Oh! No! No, no, no, Maggie. You just… well, you startled me. I didn't know you'd felt that way."

"Bianca, you know I love Miranda as if she were my own. And I _want_ to make her my own- well, you know, legally yours and mine."

"Oh, Maggie...," Bianca murmured softly, her eyes tearing over. Now she knew her gift was the right one.

Maggie blushed a gentle shade of pink and lowered her eyes to her croissant. "Maybe we could talk about it sometime. So… think about it…"

Bianca smiled softly. "I will, I promise."

"And I think we all know just how much I've been in your drawers," Maggie said under her breath, for Bianca's ears only.

"Maggie!" Bianca exclaimed, totally scandalized as her cheeks blossomed into a lovely shade of red.

"Shit!" Miranda piped up, remembering this word and how that was the same as her mommy's response to it in the past.

"Miranda!" Maggie exclaimed. She looked around quickly, hoping no French-speaking customers understood Miranda's exclamation. "We don't say that!"

"Otay…" The little girl appeared to think for a moment. "Cwap!"

"Maggie!"

"What did _I_ do?!" Instead of answering, Bianca just gave Maggie a look. "Hey, at least it wasn't merde…"

That evening, after Miranda had fallen asleep in her new Big Girl bed with Leo curled up at her knees, Bianca and Maggie retired to the den. Zach, Kendall, Greenlee and Matthieu had gone out for the night, Kendall and Greenlee insisting they wouldn't be home for hours and hours wink, wink, nudge, nudge and that the house would be _all theirs_. _To do with as they pleased. Even the kitchen._

"That's incredibly subtle, Kendall," Maggie said, rolling her eyes as the two couples made their way out the front door. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Hey, anything for you, short-stuff," Kendall replied, tossing her sister yet another not-so-subtle wink.

After the door closed on the foursome, Maggie turned to Bianca. "Are you as creeped out as I am over your sister's attempts at giving us her blessing to get our freak on?"

Bianca stood and watched the blonde head back into the den, Maggie's blatant description echoing in her head. "Well, I am _now_."

Despite that, they did manage to cuddle up in front of the television and make-out while watching a movie. Or rather, make-out while a movie was playing on the television, because they sure didn't watch any of it…

**Sunday morning  
July 9, 2006**

Maggie tried to slip out of bed quietly and not to disturb a still sleeping Bianca, who clung to her like a barnacle on the Pacific Princess. She wanted take advantage of the beautiful morning dawning outside with a quick jog around the neighborhood before kicking into high gear the festivities she had planned for their anniversary. The moment Maggie moved, though, Bianca tightened her arm around the blonde's waist.

"Stay," Bianca mumbled sleepily.

"Go," Maggie replied with a kiss to the top of Bianca's head.

"Stay."

"Nope, gotta go. Big day today." She slid out of the comfortable bed and headed to the dresser to dig out some running clothes. She turned and gave Bianca her patented lop-sided grin. "Bigger night tonight."

Bianca rolled onto her side to watch the little blonde as she stripped off her nightclothes and pulled on her running shorts. "Mm, yeah. Maybe you better go work out. You're going to need it later."

Maggie laced up her Nike's then went to the bed, leaning in to give Bianca a hard kiss on the lips. "So are you, Boom Boom… you might want to think about that." With a grin, she was gone.

Bianca watched the blonde exit the room, pulling her pony tail through the back of a New York Rangers cap, before she dropped back onto the bed and nuzzled her face into Maggie's pillow. "Hmm, maybe I should get on the treadmill while she's gone…"

With a happy little shriek of joy, she yanked the sheets up over her head and burrowed under the covers, savoring thoughts about what the night to come would bring.

Maggie grinned as she neared the apartment at the end of her run. The day was absolutely gorgeous, surely a portent of things to come, and she didn't feel as if she'd even expended any energy while jogging, instead she was running on air, the ground flashing beneath her feet, the sun warm on her face, the breeze fresh on her skin…

She couldn't get rid of the grin that had taken up permanent residence on her lips. Tonight was all about her and Bianca. Their relationship. Their friendship turned romance. Their life with their child.

Tonight couldn't come soon enough…

**Sunday Evening-**

"Is that what you're wearing?"

"Go away, Greenlee."

"Seriously, Maggie, is that what you're wearing?"

Maggie looked up from the mirror where she was applying the finishing touches to her make-up, hand poised to apply the mascara to her eyelashes. "Do you want me to kill you? Because, you know, I will."

Greenlee held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Guess you don't plan on getting laid tonight."

Maggie sighed and dropped her hand onto the counter. "Okay, Greenlee, what's wrong with what I'm wearing."

"Nothing… nothing." And then she was gone.

Growling in frustration, Maggie looked down at the mini-skirt and green blouse she had on. Unbuttoned down to there, with strappy sandals, she looked good. She _knew_ she looked good. "She's the one who needs to get laid," the little blonde muttered to herself as she turned her attention back to her lashes.

Taking another look in the mirror, Maggie rolled her eyes and went in search of something else, something a little more _revealing_, to wear.

xoxox

Kendall stood behind Bianca, brushing the thick locks of her younger sister's hair while the brunette carefully applied her lipstick. "Wow, Binks," the older girl remarked. "You plan on actually getting through dinner with that outfit on?"

Bianca looked at her sister in the mirror then glanced down at her dress. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

Kendall laughed. "Oh, there's nothing _wrong_ at all! But you got the girls there practically begging to come out and play. I don't know how the Magster is going to resist, she'll probably do you right there in the restaurant."

"Kendall!" Bianca exclaimed. She bloomed a deep shade of red. "Please! Good grief, you're my sister!" She shuddered visibly. "I don't want to think about you thinking about me and Maggie. Together… _doing_ anything!" Another look at Kendall and Bianca shuddered once more. "I mean, ew. Seriously."

"Really?" Kendall asked thoughtfully. She tilted her head to the side in retrospection. "Because, you know, it doesn't bother me so much anymore. See?" She poked Bianca in the arm and closed her eyes. "I'm thinking about it right now and I'm not creeped out by it at all."

"_I _am," Bianca muttered as she watched her sister contemplating her and Maggie's sex life.

"Oh," Kendall remarked suddenly, her eyes still closed, as if coming to some brilliant realization. She sat up straighter then scrunched her eyebrows up at the revelation that had just smacked her upside the head. "Well, okay, now I think I can understand why guys have that abnormal Jones for girl on girl action... Binks, you dog, you!"

Bianca dropped her head into her hands. "Oh, God..."

"Wow, Maggie's quite the hound, isn't she?"

"Out!" Bianca exclaimed, unable to handle Kendall's musings any longer. "Out! Out! OUT!"

"What?" Kendall looked honestly confused. "I'm just happy for you, Binks. You're _getting_ it on a regular basis!"

"Kendall!"

"What?"

"I don't want to discuss my sex life with you!" She held up her hand quickly, staving off her sister's planned response. "And I don't want to talk about _your_ sex life, either!"

Kendall shut her mouth. "Fine," she muttered.

There was a knock at the bathroom door. "Bianca?" Maggie called out. "Are you ready?"

"Saved!" Bianca exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Coming, Mags!" She jumped up from the vanity and headed for the door, grabbing her purse on the way. "Good night, Kendall."

"Hey, Binks?" Kendall called before Bianca exited the room. The younger woman turned in exasperation, rolling her eyes with dread. "Have fun tonight."

Softening immediately, Bianca smiled at her sister. "Thanks, Kendall."

xoxox

Maggie stood at the door, bouncing nervously on her toes, waiting for Bianca to appear. When the door swung open, the little blonde stopped dead.

"Wow," she finally breathed, taking in the gorgeous vision before her. "You look fantastic!"

Bianca grinned at her partner's reaction, then eyed the dress the girl was wearing. "So do you," she replied, her gaze wandering over Maggie's tiny figure.

Maggie began to blush under the intense scrutiny of the brunette. "You ready for dinner?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am."

She offered Bianca her hand. "Shall we?"

"Let's."

They started for the front door, Maggie lacing her fingers with Bianca's as they descended the

stairs. "Did you get a chance to say good night to Miranda?"

Bianca smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Yes, I did. We put our make-up on together."

Maggie laughed. "Really? We did our hair together." They both laughed at how they had spent quality time with their daughter. Maggie sobered suddenly. "I wonder how much trouble Kendall and Greenlee will get into with her this evening."

"Please," Bianca replied. "Let's not ruin our evening before it's started. It's possible they have an uneventful night, you know."

"Yeah, and it's possible I'll get drafted by the Rangers and help them win the Stanley Cup but I'm not holding my breath."

Bianca sighed in resignation. "Good point."

Holding the front door open for the brunette, Maggie gave her a smile. "Let's not worry about it and just go enjoy our dinner. How about that?"

"Sounds like a plan."

They exited the building a few moments later and Maggie took Bianca's hand in hers once more. The Paris evening was wonderfully warm, the sun slowly beginning its descent into the western sky, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the tress along the avenue. Maggie's midnight blue Aston-Martin sat at the curb, the waning sunlight glinting off the paint and creating starbursts of sapphire on the sleek curves of the car.

Bianca grinned as she allowed Maggie to lead the way. "So, are you going to tell me where we're heading?" she asked as Maggie opened the passenger door for her to slide into the low-slung vehicle.

"Well," Maggie said with an impish grin of her own as she handed Bianca into the leather seat. "I thought a fancy French restaurant might be a little cliché, so I made reservations down at Passy Mandarin."

"Chinese?"

Maggie slid into the driver's seat and turned to the brunette. "Yeah, is that okay?"

"Oh, wow," Bianca said thoughtfully. "I can't remember the last time we had Chinese food."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Think PVU and Henry..."

"Oh, wow," Bianca repeated.

Maggie suddenly worried about her dinner choice. "I can try and get us in somewhere else-."

"No!" Bianca exclaimed. "No, no, no. I'm sorry, Sweetie, Passy Mandarin is fine. It sounds wonderful, in fact. It just surprised me a little. I mean, Chinese in Paris… It's unique. I'm glad you thought of it."

"Good," Maggie replied, sliding the stainless steel and sapphire ECU into the dashboard and starting the big V12 engine. "Because I would never want to be boring or predictable."

"Oh, no," Bianca laughed. "Boring and predictable Maggie. We can't have that."

With one last patented lopsided grin, Maggie pulled away from the curb and out onto Avenue Foch, seamlessly merging the expensive sports car into equally expensive traffic.

The drive to Passy Mandarin wasn't very long, the restaurant located just west of the Trocadero and also in the 16th Arrondissment. It sat on a little side street just off Rue de Passy, close enough to the see virtually the entire span of the Eiffel Tower just across the river. Maggie found a nearby spot and parked the Aston-Martin, then helped Bianca from the car. They walked to the restaurant hand in hand, Maggie holding the door open for the brunette as they entered.

Bianca was delighted at the interior of the restaurant, which was decorated in warm silks and dark carved woods. Soft fading sunlight spilled in through the large windows, muted only slightly by the sheer ivory drapes and the air was tinted slightly with jasmine and ginger. If she closed her eyes, she could almost forget that Paris lay just outside the door in all its Old World charm and Renaissance architecture.

It was a bit incongruous when the well dressed young Asian man spoke to them in heavily accented French, almost worse when he switched to English after determining they were Americans. Bianca and Maggie shared a giggle as he led them to a luxuriously set table tucked away in a corner beneath a large Chinese mural, out of the way of foot traffic and the clamor of the kitchen.

"Maggie, this is wonderful!" Bianca exclaimed as they settled into their seats and opened their menus.

The blonde grinned. "Do you like it? Cody brought us all here for lunch one day after a really nasty test we had in genetics. The food is really good here, better than Henry's parents place."

"Really? I thought that was pretty good. Especially when you would buy one of everything when I was pregnant with Miranda and couldn't decide on spicy or mild."

"It _was_ good, but you were also really hungry."

Bianca smiled abashedly in remembrance. "I was _always_ hungry when I was pregnant..."

"Well, that's true," Maggie admitted. "It was probably the only time I wasn't overly concerned about you falling back into the habit of not eating." She thought about it for a moment. "Man, you ate like a horse."

"Hey! Watch it."

"Well, it's true."

"Okay, okay, I get it, I was a pig when I was pregnant with Miranda. Okay, point made. Can we move on now?"

Maggie chuckled. "Wow, touchy."

"Just shut up and order us a bottle of wine."

"Yes, ma'am."

Maggie did as instructed and ordered a deep red Bordeaux Cabernet, raising her glass to Bianca after the sommelier had gone through the tasting ritual with the blonde. Bianca, raising her glass in response to Maggie, feeling a little flushed at having watched Maggie take care of tasting, swirling and approving of the wine.

_She's so continental now_, Bianca thought to herself as she met Maggie's eyes with her own. _My little self-proclaimed street urchin is so sophisticated…_ Suddenly, she felt the tell-tale prickling in her nose and then her eyes teared up.

"Hey," Maggie asked with sudden concern, seeing Bianca's eyes watering with unmistakable tears. "What's wrong?"

Bianca shook her head and laughed sheepishly. "Nothing," she insisted, dabbing at her eyes with her linen napkin. "Nothing at all. I was just… well, I was just thinking how good this move has been for you. You've always been strong, Maggie, but you've gotten so confident over here."

Maggie blushed. "No, I haven't."

"Yes, Maggie, you have. Honey, you gave up everything to chase after me, you didn't know the language, you didn't know what you were going to do to get by, you were getting out of a terrible situation and you just… you dropped everything and came here. And, Baby, you have grown so much. This is everything I knew you could be."

"Bianca…"

"I love you, Maggie. I love watching you go from strong, if terrified, teen to confident, sexy woman. You're not the same young girl who first came to Pine Valley all those years ago. You're still just as strong, but… so self-assured. You took everything this move threw at you and you took control. You speak a language you had absolutely no idea about, you're taking classes- _medical classes_- in that language and excelling… You're poised and sure of yourself and so gorgeous, even more gorgeous than when I first fell in love with you 5 years ago…"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Jeez, all I did was order a bottle of wine…," she tried to joke.

Bianca smiled knowingly. "And when you're embarrassed, you fall back into that old habit of making a joke about it." She shook her head, nonplussed by Maggie's behavior. "You're incredible, Maggie, do you know that?"

"Stop it, Bianca. Really…"

"I love you, Tiger. I loved you then and I love you now."

Maggie hid her face for a moment then looked up at Bianca sheepishly. "I love you, too, Boom Boom," she responded softly, suddenly flashing that trademark lopsided smile. "More than I ever thought possible."

Their eyes locked for a moment, so intensely that one could almost see the bolt of electricity that arced between them, blue-white hot and crackling. Before either could act on the intensity; however, the waiter appeared to take their dinner orders, breaking the connection if only for a moment.

After the waiter left and they shared another glass of wine, Maggie gave Bianca a look with a decidedly devilish twinkle in her eye. "That dress, by the way," she whispered huskily, "is gorgeous on you."

Bianca glanced down. "You think so?" Then she leaned forward provocatively, giving Maggie quite the show with the décolletage of her tank-style dress. "It's not too much?"

"Oh, yeah," Maggie practically growled, her eyes on the low-cut dress and the expanse of porcelain skin it revealed. "It's definitely too much. But, trust me, I'm not complaining." She gave Bianca a wink. "No one does cleavage like you do, Binks. No. One."

"You got that right," Bianca responded in her sexiest voice, sending a shiver down Maggie's spine.

Before the blonde could respond, the waiter arrived with their meals, clearing his throat as approached. Both girls looked at each other then tried with difficulty to stifle their giggles, each knowing where the other's thoughts had been just moments before.

With a flourish, the waiter settled the plates on the table, preparing the sizzling rice and shrimp platter before slicing the Peking duck quickly and expertly.With a quick bow, he set their plates before them then quietly slipped away.

Maggie picked up her chopsticks and reached for a succulent slice of duck, feeding a bite to Bianca before taking some for herself. They ate their meal while chatting and sipping their wine, feeding each other on occasion, laughing when chopsticks went awry or a bite made a slippery escape before reaching its destination.

After a desert of Thai Flan with coconut milk and fresh beignets with fresh French ice cream, they relaxed over coffee before Maggie took care of the bill. Bianca tried to wrestle it away from her, but in retrospect decided Maggie was still way too strong for her to mess with. The brunette would get her back some other way.

_Meanwhile, back at the Montgomery-Stone Penthouse_-

"The kidney-shaped pool goes here."

"That's a kidney-shaped pool?"

"Hey, these things are square, it's hard to make a kidney-shaped pool with square blocks."

"Why would you put a pool in the front yard?"

"That's the back yard."

"No, it's not, that's the front yard."

"Are you crazy? Then what's that over there?"

"The stables."

"The what?!"

"The _stables_! What, am I speaking a foreign language?"

"It looks like a garage."

"Well, it's not." Greenlee snatched away a few blue and green blocks from Kendall's stash. "I need those."

"Let me guess, no one shared their Lego's with you in pre-school, huh?"

"I didn't have Lego's in pre-school... Hell, I didn't _go_ to pre-school..."

"Oh, so you were a pre-school dropout, too?"

"No, I just didn't want to go."

"Greenlee?"

"What."

"Where's Miranda?"

"Who?" Greenlee looked around. "Kendall! Where's Miranda?"

"That's what I just _asked_ you!"

Greenlee jumped to her feet. "She was right over there on her blanket, Kendall!"

"I know!"

"Her and that cat that keeps hissing at me!"

"I know!"

"Why do you think that is? I've never done anything to that little hairball, but he keeps hissing at me whenever he sees me..."

"Greenlee! Focus!" Kendall crawled on all fours over to the blanket where Miranda had been playing with her Elmo plushy and the silver striped tabby. For some unknown reason, she lifted the corner of the fleece blanket and looked underneath. "She's not here!"

"Wow, thanks for the newsflash, there, Kendall. It's kind of obvious, you know, unless she spontaneously combusted when we weren't looking."

"You are _not_ helping!"

Greenlee crossed her arms over her chest and gave Kendall a look. "Really? Considering you're completely freaking out and I'm still calm and rational, I would think that _you_ are the one who's not helping..."

Kendall crawled quickly back over to Greenlee, moving with so fast into her personal space that the smaller woman had no choice but to scramble backwards like a crab. "Greenlee, you will help me find her or I will cause you so much pain, you'll think getting your hand caught in a Cuisinart feels like a _tickle_!" She was so close to Greenlee, their noses were practically bumping. "And if you breathe one word of this to Bianca or Maggie, I'll take a full page ad out in Le Monde about that little... _incident_ in the park last week."

"What little incide-," Greenlee's eyes bugged out as the memory came back to her. "You wouldn't!"

"Oh, I would! I have _pictures_!!" She leaned even closer, the tip of her nose against Greenlee's. "Both the English and French editions," she threatened.

"Well, come on!" Greenlee slapped at Kendall's shoulders to back her up. "Let's go find the darling child and her charming little kitty cat!"

Kendall jumped up to follow the shorter woman out of the nursery. "And don't tell Zach, either!"

_Out in the Warm Paris Evening-_

"Where are you taking me?" Bianca asked, as Maggie grabbed a picnic basket out of the trunk of the Vanquish and took hold of the brunette's hand. "Maggie?"

They had left the restaurant not long before and Maggie had driven them over the Seine to the Left Bank, parking the car near the Champs du Mars before ushering Bianca into the large park in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. She found a spot that met their needs, amidst the trees with a spectacular view of the brightly lit tower, but out of the way of the summer crowds to allow them plenty of privacy.

"Just wait," the blonde replied. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

Spreading the blanket on the grass, Maggie helped Bianca down to sit before settling down at her side. "Okay," she murmured, scooting her body closer to Bianca's, feeling the warmth of Bianca's body heat along her arm. "Do you remember this place?"

Bianca grinned in the fading sunlight. "Yeah, Champs de Mars. We bring Miranda here to play all the time."

"Yeah, I know that, but do you remember anything about the park?" Bianca looked bewildered and Maggie gave her a smile. "We came here for Bastille Day last year. I kissed you in front of God and everyone during the fireworks display." Maggie watched Bianca blush at the memory. "Yeah, it made you blush, then, too."

"So, we're here to recreate that night?" Bianca asked after taking a moment to get her emotions back in check.

Maggie had to laugh. "Oh, no, that was so long ago, I don't want to go back that far where all we shared was a single kiss under the fireworks, even if it was a spectacularly good kiss." She opened the picnic basket and pulled out a bottle of wine and a corkscrew. "But I don't mind celebrating what happened back then, because that was the beginning of us."

That made Bianca smile. "Yeah, it was."

Maggie opened the wine and poured two glasses, handing one to Bianca. "Should we make a toast?"

"Do you think?"

"You want to go or do you want me to do it?"

Bianca thought for a moment. "I'll go."

Maggie smiled. "Go ahead."

"Okay." The brunette thought for a moment, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear before she looked up at Maggie. "Um, to us," she began, holding up her glass. "It's more than I ever could have dreamed it to be and it just keeps getting better every day that goes by."

They clinked glasses and sipped from the dark amethyst liquid, their eyes never straying from the other. Maggie paused and held up her own glass.

"To us," she whispered. "Because we're finally here, in this place and time after so long. Together. Because I love you."

Tears suddenly sprang to Bianca's eyes at Maggie's heartfelt words. "I love you, too, Maggie. It's because of you that we _are_ finally here. Because you were the only thing that kept me together for so long. You saved me every day, Maggie. For so many years, you were the one thing I could count on. The one person who took care of me, looked out for me, protected me and treasured me. I love you so much, Maggie Stone. I'll love you forever."

"Forever and a day, B. Probably even longer than that."

They sipped their wine after briefly touching the glasses together, the elegant 'ping' of crystal on crystal reverberating on the air. Bianca smiled coyly over the rim of her glass at Maggie, watching the little blonde drink the Cabernet then lick her lips seductively. Bianca swallowed hard at the vision, a shiver running up her spine and gooseflesh erupting along her arms.

"You want it now?" Maggie asked with a devilish grin.

Bianca choked on her wine, spitting half of it back into the glass she held to her lips. "Wha-," she coughed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "What?"

Maggie gave Bianca a curious look. "Your gift. Do you want it now?"

"My gif- Oh! Oh, my gift!" Bianca laughed at herself. "You have no idea what I thought you meant!"

Maggie was silent for a long moment as she mulled over Bianca's words before she burst out laughing. "Bianca, I swear, for the sweet, innocent one, you are always the first one to come up with some dirty meaning to someone's comments."

"I do _not_!"

"Yeah, yeah, you do."

"Name one instance!"

Maggie's grin became even more lopsided, which Bianca knew only happened when Maggie was incredibly sure of herself. "Hmm…," Maggie said after a moment. "How about 'screw the couch, sleep in my bed'?"

"You thought it, too!"

"Yeah, after I saw the look on your face! You weren't thinking about screwing the _couch_, that's for sure!"

"Maggie!"

"Oh, what, B? You know that's what you were thinking!"

Bianca blushed and dropped her gaze. "Well, you were the one who said 'screw'," she muttered as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Suddenly, she sobered and glanced up at the woman who was the other half of her soul. "Do you remember what happened next?" Maggie gave her a questioning look. "We went back to your place and played 'I, Never'."

Maggie held up a hand, pointing a warning finger in Bianca's direction. "Don't you start, Bianca, I mean it. Because then you'll start to cry, then I'll start to cry and then we'll both be sitting here crying and I'll hate that. That'll be our memory of our first anniversary, the two of us sitting here blubbering over something we can't change."

"You told me how you felt about me, Maggie, and I said 'wow'. I said '_wow_'!"

Maggie shrugged nonchalantly. "It's one of your favorite words."

"I should have been a little more cognizant of your feelings, Maggie."

"Wow, _cognizant_…is that the word for the day on your desk calendar?"

"Okay, aware. I should have been more _aware_ of your feelings."

"Bianca, we've been through this. We don't have to re-hash it over and over again. We've already agreed that it wasn't our time back then. Now… _Now_ is our time."

Instead of answering, Bianca sighed in frustration. It was apparent to Maggie that the brunette wanted to argue to matter, but Maggie wasn't going to allow it. So, to ward off any further discussion, she pulled the square jewelry box out of the picnic basket. "This is for you," she said softly.

Bianca looked at Maggie for a moment before accepting the familiar red Cartier box. Having a sense of what might be inside, she took her time opening it, listening to the box creak as she raised the lid. The last rays of sunlight glinted off the gold as Bianca sucked in her breath.

"Oh, my God, Maggie," she whispered. "Oh, Maggie!"

Maggie blushed as she grinned at the brunette. "So... do you like it?"

"Maggie, it's gorgeous!"

"You know what it is, don't you?"

"It's a LOVE bracelet-," Bianca breathed.

"A LOVE bracelet," Maggie said simultaneously. She took out the little golden screw driver. "Since you know what it is, I guess you know the story behind the bracelet?" Bianca nodded and watched as Maggie took the little golden screwdriver out of the box. "Then you know that I have to be the one to screw it on you."

Bianca laughed. "Am I supposed to read something sexual into that, too?" she asked as she took the bracelet out of the box.

"Boy, I hope so," she laughed. She held out her hand for the gold bangle. "May I?"

Holding out the bracelet, Bianca suddenly noticed the engraving. "Wait, you had it engraved?"

"Yeah."

"_All my love forever, your Maggie," _Bianca read softly before lifting her shining eyes to the woman in question. "Maggie…"

Maggie blushed. "Yeah, well, it's true." She took the bracelet from Bianca, placed it on the brunette's wrist and carefully tightened the small gold screws. "There. Now I have you all locked up."

Bianca leaned over and gave Maggie a gentle kiss on the lips. "You always did, Maggie. Don't you know that?"

"I do now," she admitted, her lips against Bianca's.

The kiss deepened as the sun slipped below the horizon, shrouding the pair in the first moments of dusk and further privacy.

_Back at the Montgomery-Stone Penthouse:_

"Mir-AN-da!" Greenlee called in a song-song fashion. "Where ARE you?"

Kendall spun around quickly. "Will you shut up?!" she snapped through clenched teeth. "That's just what I need; for Zach to find out we lost his little princess!"

"_We_ lost?! What's this _WE_ lost BS? _You're_ the one who misplaced the kid!"

"I didn't _misplace_ her, Greenlee! She's not a lipstick, you know!"

"Do you know where she is? No. So, basically, you misplaced her."

"No, I didn't. She… she… she misplaced herself! We were in the nursery and then she was gone. I didn't do anything!"

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Well, at least you got that last part right." She started looking around for the little girl, lifting a corner of the Oriental rug in the entry hall and calling her name in a whisper. "Miranda?"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for Miranda."

"And you think she might be under the rug?"

"Hey, kids are pretty resourceful."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "They're not so resourceful they can turn themselves into pancakes, you idiot."

"Well," Greenlee stated, crossing her arms over her chest and eying the taller woman critically, "I notice you haven't located her, yet, either…"

"Give me a minute, Greenlee, let me see if she slipped out through the mail slot in the front door."

"Oh, ha ha."

"Shut up and keep looking!"

Greenlee gave Kendall a dismissive wave. "You look upstairs, I'll check the kitchen."

"Okay." She hurried up the stairs to the second story where the guest rooms were located, on the opposite side of the apartment from the Master Suite, nursery and second bedroom. "Miranda!" she whispered urgently. "Mimo!"

Greenlee went into the kitchen and glanced around, fairly certain the little girl wasn't in the cabinets or refrigerator. She got a bottle of Evian water out of the Sub-Zero and wandered back into the living room, casually sipping from the bottle as she waited for Kendall.

"Find her?" she asked when the taller woman rushed back into the room.

"No, did you?"

"Oh, yeah, Kendall, I found her, I was just asking if _you_ found her for the hell of it!"

"Shhhhh!" Kendall exclaimed, rushing over to Greenlee's side, waving her arms as she did so. "Will you be quiet!"

Greenlee stepped back quickly. "Will you quit spitting on me?" she yelped, wiping imaginary spit off her face. "What are you, leaking air? You sound like a balloon with a hole in it." She looked down at her hand. "_And_ you're spitting."

With a glare, Kendall grabbed Greenlee by the arm and dragged her towards the den. "Come with me," she snapped. If she was going to explain to Zach how she had somehow managed to lose his niece and the heir to the Cambias fortune, she was going to have a human shield to plant firmly in front of her.

The both skidded to a stop when they reached the doorway at the sight before them.

Miranda was settled on Zach's lap as they sat riveted to the big screen TV, the image of an NHL hockey game projecting from the screen, the white ice brightly setting off the colorful uniforms of the combatants. Zach was wearing a Detroit Red Wings Steve Yzerman jersey while Miranda had on her ever-present Rangers Mark Messier jersey.

"What was that?" Zach asked gently of the little girl.

"Twipping?" Miranda replied.

"That's right," he said. "Because Rucinksy is a tripper."

"No, Unca Zap," Miranda answered gravely, patting the big man on the cheek. "Widstwom fall down."

"Are you saying Niklas Lidstrom was flopping?"

"Yep. Maggie say so."

Zach snorted. "She's blinded by the Blueshirts."

"Wangers wule, Wed Wings dwool."

Greenlee snorted. "That sounds like Maggie," she cracked. "She's teaching her kid well, isn't she, Zach?"

"Too well," Zach grumbled. "The Rangers are winning 4-2."

"Miranda," Kendall said, hands clasped in front of her as she moved closer to the pair on the sofa. "Honey, how long have you been here with your Uncle Zach?"

Miranda had her plushy Elmo gripped tightly in her hands and her eyes glued to the TV, never looking away as she answered her Auntie Kendall. "Since Yawomeer Yaga scored on da pow pway."

"Um, what?"

Zach gave his wife a smile. "Since the first period," he supplied. "About an hour ago."

"An hour?!"

"Wow," Greenlee laughed. "We were really intent on building that Lego mansion, huh?"

"Shut it, Greenlee."

"Uh, Zach," Greenlee continued as if Kendall had never spoken. "You do realize that the hockey season ended about a month ago, right?"

_Champ de Mars_:

"I didn't want to give this to you in the restaurant," Bianca said as she reached into her purse, her fingers finding the thick packet of papers Uncle Jack had sent to her. She pulled out the legal documents and held them out to Maggie. "I hope you can read them now that it's getting dark."

"What, you're giving me divorce papers?" Maggie joked as she took the offered papers from the brunette. "We're not even married yet." Letting her eyes adjust to the light, Maggie unfolded the papers and read the title on the document.

**IN THE SUPERIOR COURT FOR THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA**

**AT PINE VALLEY**

In the matter of the adoption of:

Miranda Mona Montgomery-Stone  
(child's name after adoption)  
DOB: 3/19/04, A Minor Child  
By Mary Margaret Stone  
(Petitioner)

"Oh, my God, Bianca," she gasped, her voice almost deserting her in her shock. "What- how- is this... is this for real?"

"Yes, Maggie, it's for real."

The little blonde looked up at her girlfriend, her eyes shining with tears in the dusk, the papers hanging loosely from her nerveless fingers. "You- you really want me to be Miranda's other mother? You can trust your daughter to me?"

"Of course I can," Bianca insisted. She knew that Maggie's insecurities and doubts about herself were coursing through her petite frame and was determined to allay those fears. "Maggie, you have always been important in Miranda's life. You were with me the first time I ever saw her on that sonogram. You were willing to uproot her life and go with me where ever I decided to go so we could raise her together away from Pine Valley. You've been with us since that morning back home after the whole Jonathan thing happened. You already _are_ her other mother, this just makes it legal in the eyes of the law."

"When- when did you..."

"Have the papers drawn up?" She watched Maggie nod and swallow, still unable to believe this was actually happening. "I called Uncle Jack after the legal department at Cambias informed me we couldn't adopt over here. This will be completely legal in the eyes of the law back home. You will be Miranda's mother."

Maggie's muddled brain cleared for a moment. "But, I _can_ adopt Miranda over here."

"What do you mean? They told me that a gay couple can't adopt children in France."

"Well, they can't. But you can give me co-parental rights with Miranda since she is your biological daughter. It may not be the same as adoption but it's legal."

"Oh, wow... I'll call the legal department at work on Monday, then, and have them get started on whatever needs to be done so it's recognized here in France, too." Then she grinned at the little blonde. "Then you'll be Miranda's mother on _two_ continents!"

That seemed to stop Maggie for a moment. "Bianca, are you sure about this?"

"Maggie," Bianca replied softly, reaching out to take Maggie's hand in hers. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life except that I've been in love with you since the moment we met."

Maggie was trying to read the documents in the fading light, squinting her eyes, tilting pages this way and that, holding them to her nose, holding them at arms length. "Got a pen?" she asked, holding out a hand. "Gimme a pen."

Bianca laughed. "You don't need to sign it now, Maggie."

"I want to."

"Maggie," Bianca murmured, prying the papers from Maggie's tight-fisted grip. "Wait to sign then when you can see what you're doing. You don't want you to accidentally sign in the wrong place, do you? Like where the _judge_ signs it making it legal?"

"Okay, okay."

With a chuckle, Bianca put the papers back in her purse. "You can sign these the minute we get home."

"Promise?"

"I promise. The _minute_, the _second_, we get home"

The door to the apartment banged open and Bianca and Maggie stumbled in, their lips locked on one another, shoes being kicked off as they practically fell inside. The picnic basket hit the floor and tumbled open, spilling some of its contents onto the marble floor, as Maggie kicked the door shut behind them. Bianca dropped her purse onto the entry hall table, the apartment keys clanking off the Kosta Boda dish she liked to put them in and falling onto the table.

Maggie let her purse unceremoniously fall from her hand so she could reach behind her and throw the lock on the door before Bianca could back her up against it. She attacked Maggie's lips as she attempted to kick her shoes out of the way and get closer to Maggie's height, all the while letting her hands wander all over the tiny blonde.

Maggie's shoes quickly followed Bianca's as she urged the taller woman toward the stairs. Bianca's heels hit the stairs and she lost her balance. "Wait, stop," she managed around Maggie's kiss.

"Not on a bet," Maggie replied, wrapping her arms tighter around Bianca's waist and helping her from falling. She latched onto Bianca's lips with her own as they continued their trek.

They somehow managed to stagger and flail their way up the stairs, lips engaged, voices murmuring, hands roaming, and into the master suite, the door slamming shut behind them.

Kendall, Greenlee and Zach stood frozen in the doorway to the den.

Greenlee crossed her arms over her chest. "Well…," she muttered. "_That_ was the most disturbing thing I think I've ever seen."

"Hmm, sex," Zach replied stoically. "You should try it sometime." Greenlee snorted derisively then pointedly ignored the man.

Kendall's eyes were the size of dinner plates over what she'd just witnessed. "I'm never going to be able to look my mother in the eye ever again."

"Your mother?" Greenlee remarked.

"Yes, my mother. She's always asking me how Bianca and Maggie are getting on… now I'm going to hear in my head '_How are Bianca and Maggie getting it on?_' instead…" She sighed. "I really don't want to think about my mother thinking about my baby sister _getting it on_…"

Greenlee smirked. "Good thing the kid's already in bed. I wouldn't know how to answer _those_ questions."

xoxox

The room was alight with an almost silvery glow as the moon shone brightly in the window, the curtains having been pulled back to allow the moonlight to spill into the room. Shadows played on the wall, two distinct shapes that slowly melted into one, two hands that found each other and laced seamlessly, fingers entwined and clasping tightly. There was a gentle glide of warm flesh on flesh, the feel of a heartbeat beneath the palm of a hand, the soft sound of whispered words of love, the cool touch of linen on heated bodies.

Bianca held Maggie in her arms, her hands drifting along the silken skin of the smaller woman's back. Maggie pulled back to look in Bianca's eyes, her finger tips barely grazing the alabaster skin of her cheek. She buried her face in Bianca's neck, her lips staking claim to the pulse throbbing beneath the smooth warm skin. Bianca's eyes slowly fluttered shut as her hands slid up Maggie's back to wind their way into blonde streaked hair, holding those lips to her skin, enjoying the brush of Maggie's tongue against the echo of Bianca's heartbeat.

Bianca scattered kisses along Maggie's jaw and down her throat, reveling in the feel of the tiny blonde in her arms. Lightly brushing the tip of her nose against Maggie's skin, Bianca took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the intoxicating scent that was uniquely Maggie's. She pulled Maggie tighter into her arms, imprinting the feel, texture, scent, entire being, into her heart and soul.

In the ethereal calm, their two souls intertwined as two bodies made love and two hearts beat as one.

As their heartbeats slowed and their breathing evened out, Maggie pulled the sheet up over their sweat glistening bodies. She drew Bianca into her arms and pressed her lips to the brunette's forehead, settling them into a comfortable position in each others arms. Bianca nuzzled her nose into the crook of Maggie's neck, taking a moment to brush a kiss along the tender flesh of Maggie's throat. Lying there in Maggie's arms, she suddenly began to shiver almost uncontrollably.

Maggie immediately became concerned. "Bianca, you're shaking."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Are you cold?"

"No, it's weird, but I'm not cold at all."

"Then why are you shaking?"

Bianca had, to Maggie's way of thinking, the audacity to actually laugh. "It's like that scene from '_Say Anything_', remember that? I'm not shaking because I'm cold, Sweetie. I think it's because I'm happy." She suddenly shivered again. "Okay, and maybe a little cold, too," she chuckled.

Maggie pulled the duvet cover up over their bodies and pulled Bianca closer, curling her body around the brunette's. "How's that? Better?"

"Mmm," Bianca whispered, settling her head on Maggie's shoulder and letting the contentment of the moment wash over her. "Yes." She sighed softly. "You feel good."

"So do you."

"You ready to go to sleep?"

"Are you?"

Chuckling and nuzzling deeper into Maggie's neck, Bianca smiled against the warm skin there. "Give me a chance to catch my breath and we can do this again, if you want."

"Hmm, let me think about that for a minute," Maggie joked. "Eh, okay."

"Well, if you're not sure," Bianca retorted, "we could just go to sleep."

With a growl, Maggie suddenly pinned Bianca to the mattress, her fingers laced with Bianca's and held above the brunette's head on the cool linen sheets. "What do you think?" the shorter woman asked.

Bianca shrieked in surprise before she burst out laughing. "I think I've got my strength back," she replied. She immediately reversed their positions, using her longer frame to press Maggie to the plush mattress beneath her. "How about you?"

Eyes locked onto the brunette's, Maggie found no words. There was in intensity in Bianca's eyes, a depth of emotion Maggie could honestly say she'd never seen before, certainly never directed at her, in her entire life. Her heart skipped a beat, her breath hitched in her throat, and she smiled.

Bianca smiled back before dipping her head and capturing Maggie's lips with her own.

Paris, France  
Early morning July 10, 2006

Maggie lay in bed staring up at the ceiling with a little smile on her mouth, her hair a tousled mess from fingers constantly running through it, her lips swollen from voracious and excited kisses, her muscles tired and sore from exertion. Bianca lay in her arms looking much the same as Maggie, her body pressed tightly to the little blonde's, an arm thrown casually across her waist and her head nuzzled beneath Maggie's chin. The sheets were rumpled around them, modestly covering their bare skin save for a smooth leg tossed over a hip or a rounded shoulder beneath the palm of a warm hand.

"Maggie?" Bianca asked softly, her fingers gently tracing patterns over the blonde's arm, raising goose flesh in their wake. "Are you okay?"

Maggie's smile grew into a full-blown grin as she caught Bianca's wayward hand in her own. "I'm fine, B. How are you?"

Bianca pushed herself up on an elbow and pushed her unruly hair off her face. "I'm wonderful," she replied huskily, reaching out a finger to brush a few strands of blonde hair out of Maggie's eyes. "So… was it a good day for you?"

That made Maggie laugh. "It was a _great_ day for me. How about you?"

"It was a good day for me, too." She snuggled closer and pressed a kiss to Maggie's throat, her eyes falling to the golden bracelet that now circled her wrist. "Actually, the whole weekend was pretty okay…"

Bianca sat bolt upright in bed, shoving her hair off her face, her heart pounding in her chest so hard she could feel the thumping all the way through her skin. Reaching over to snap on the bedside light, she put one hand to her mouth as the other fluttered ineffectually to her throat. With a tremor shivering through her body, she glanced down at the blonde woman lying curled up beside her.

Maggie cracked open an eye at the bright intrusion of light and the sense of loss of Bianca's body against her own. "What's wrong, B?" she croaked sleepily. "Are you okay?"

"What did you mean '_yet_'?!"

TBC-

FYI - In February 2006, France's Court of Cassation ruled that both partners in a same-sex relationship can have parental rights over one partner's biological child. The result came from a case where a woman tried to give parental rights of her two daughters to her partner whom she was in a civil union with. When I first began researching same-sex couples adopting in France, this information was not available to me, I was only aware that same sex couples could not adopt children in France; therefore, Bianca had to turn to Uncle Jack for assistance. Obviously, they meant same-sex couples could not adopt _unwanted or orphaned children_.


	20. The Secrets That We Keep

Sorry for the delay… I have no excuse other than I just had a hard time getting into a rhythm with this chapter. I blame Charles Pratt for messing with my BAM muse...

Anyway, here it is... I hope you enjoy...

Disclaimer: No kittens were harmed in the making of this update.

**On a long, sweet summer night  
All the kisses you bring me get my temperature right  
Long, sweet summer night  
I will love you in the daytime too **

**If it's the only other thing that I do  
**The Thorns - _Long, Sweet Summer Night_

Chapter 20- The Secrets That We Keep

Paris, France

July, 2006

Maggie sat in the library, her thick medical text book and a half dozen reference materials laid out on the table before her, a notepad in one hand, a pen in the other. She had the tip of the pen between her teeth, chewing on the end as she watched the dust motes floating in the beam of sunlight that streamed in from the window beside her. She thought back, once more, to that early Sunday morning when Bianca had almost caught her.

_Bianca sat bolt upright in bed, shoving her hair off her face, her heart pounding in her chest so hard she could feel the thumping all the way through her skin. Reaching over to snap on the bedside light, she put one hand to her mouth as the other fluttered ineffectually to her throat. With a tremor shivering through her body, she glanced down at the blonde woman lying curled up beside her._

_Maggie cracked open an eye at the bright intrusion of light and the sense of loss of Bianca's body against her own. "What's wrong, B?" she croaked sleepily. "Are you okay?"_

"_What did you mean __'yet'__?!"_

She'd managed to laugh it off, blaming semantics for the seemingly innocent slip. Inside, her heart was beating a million miles a minute. She was sure Bianca could hear it thumping against her chest, or see the vein in her neck jumping with the beating of her heart.

"Jeez, Maggie," she muttered to herself, tossing the notepad on the table in front of her. "You almost blew it big time."

"Almost blew what big time?" a feminine voice asked from just over Maggie's shoulder.

The little blonde jumped halfway out of her chair. "Holy shit!" she exclaimed, earning herself a few dirty looks and a couple of strident shh's from surrounding students. She spun around to see Cecelia standing behind her. "You scared the crap out of me!" she growled in a semi-whisper to the tall Australian.

"I'm sorry," Cecelia whispered back, giving Maggie a contrite smile. "I saw you sitting over here and you've been talking to yourself most of the afternoon. I thought I'd see what was going on."

Maggie felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "You've been watching me?"

Cecelia gave her a bigger smile and a shrug. "You speak English. There aren't a lot of us around."

"That's funny," Maggie retorted, un-amused at the attempt at familiarity. "There are at least 25 people who speak English in my Advanced Pharmacology class and twice as many as that in my Physics lab."

Cecelia was silent for a moment then held out a large text to Maggie. "I found that information you were looking for."

"Um, thanks," Maggie murmured, still feeling mildly creeped out by having been monitored by the redhead. She started gathering up her things in a hurry, shoving books and papers into her book bag. "I'll have to look at it later, I need to get home."

"Okay… Bye, Maggie."

"Bye," she tossed over her shoulder as she bolted for the doors. Once outside, she took a moment to catch her breath. She'd been hit on before by other women, that wasn't new to her, even before she and Bianca got together. But something about Cecelia just gave her the willies.

Not quite ready to go home just yet, mainly because Bianca and Miranda were at the Cambias offices until 5:30 or so, Maggie found a sunny spot in the Jardin des Plantes across the street from the library to relax in.

Her mind wandered back, again, to Bianca's reaction that night after their anniversary celebration:

"_What did you mean __'yet'__?!"_

_Maggie was confused. "What?"_

_Bianca wildly brushed the brunette locks that had fallen back into her eyes with both hands, tucking the errant strands behind her ears. "Last night. In the park. I gave you the adoption papers and you said 'You're giving me divorce papers? We're not even married _**yet**_.' You said _yet_. What did you mean _**yet**_?"_

_Maggie's sleep-fogged brain still hadn't quite caught up with Bianca's and she sat there for a long moment, just looking at the brunette dumbly. "What?" she repeated. _

"_Maggie, focus, please!"_

_Using the heels of her hands to rub the sleep from her eyes, Maggie sat up and pressed herself back against the bed's headboard. "You remembered everything I said? Word for word?"_

Maggie chuckled at the recollection, thinking only Bianca would have Maggie's exact words committed to memory, especially considering the nature of what it was that Maggie had said.

Suddenly, Maggie actually laughed out loud as she remembered how she had managed to divert Bianca's one-track mind.

"_Come on, Maggie," Bianca replied, affecting a child-like pout that made Maggie grin. "What did you mean?"_

_Taking a breath, Maggie used all her powers of persuasion to convince the brunette that it was simply a figure of speech. "Honestly, Boom-Boom, I didn't think anything about it. It just came out." And with her patented lopsided grin, she pushed Bianca's hair aside and pressed a kiss to her throat. With her lips against Bianca's skin, she verbalized her thought from a moment before. "It was just a figure of speech." She smiled. "Anyway, did you have a good time tonight?"_

_Bianca's breath hitched in her throat at the feel of Maggie's lips against her heated flesh. "Yes…," she murmured "But don't change the subject."_

_Time to pull out the big guns, Maggie thought to herself. "Nous avons fait l'amour, mon coeur," she whispered, knowing how Bianca got whenever she used medical terminology or spoke in French. "Et je me suis envoyé en l'air."_

_Bianca sighed as they stretched out once more on the bed. "I went to heaven, too," she breathed in Maggie's ear._

"_Je t'aime, mon amour," Maggie whispered, letting her lips travel across Bianca's throat until she reached the other perfect shell of an ear. "Tu as de beaux lolos."_

"_Maggie!" Bianca exclaimed as she burst out laughing, pushing the smaller woman backwards. "Did you just say I had nice boobs?"_

_Maggie gave the brunette an innocent look. "What? Am I wrong?"_

_Still laughing, Bianca returned the kiss Maggie was attempting to give her, all thought to their conversation forgotten as a more important pursuit presented itself._

With a shake of her head, Maggie reached into her book bag and pulled out her text book, opening it back up to the page she had been reading before she had been interrupted earlier, her head clear once again to concentrate on her studies.

Relaxed and deeply into the text book in her lap, Maggie didn't notice how the time had gotten away from her until a light breeze washed across her shoulders and she looked up at the now cloud-covered sky. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was well after 6 o'clock and she had been on the park bench for several hours.

Stretching and shoving her papers into her book bag, she looked up as a heavier, chillier gust of wind blew across the park, kicking up dust devils that danced across the wide sandy promenade. Paris was known for its quick weather changes and Maggie knew a rainstorm of some fashion would blow through in the next several minutes. If she hurried, she might make the Jussieu Metro station before the rain started to fall.

By the time she made it to the Place Victor Hugo Metro station, it was raining steadily, the sky colored a heavy steel gray with thunder rumbling in the distance. The sound of the rolling thunder spurred her quickly up the sidewalk toward the apartment building, grateful Bianca wasn't home alone with the sounds of the storm her only company.

Hurrying in the building and into the elevator, Maggie pressed the button for the top floor. Anxious to get to Bianca, she stood bouncing on her toes, pressing the "6" button repeatedly, as if that would make the elevator move faster.

Rushing in the front door, she dropped her book back by the entry hall table, kicking off her sneakers and dropping her keys into the blue Kosta Boda dish Bianca liked to use for just that purpose. Then she noticed the apartment was silent and dark, save a light on in the den.

"Hey, I'm home," she called out, only to be greeted with silence. "Where is everyone?" There was still no response and the house seemed to get even quieter and more still, if that were possible. Maggie felt her heart thump against her chest. "Bianca!" she shouted. "Are you here? Where are you?"

Just then, she noticed the door to the balcony was open and spotted Bianca sitting at the ornate patio table, protected from the rain by the overhang above, her feet up on seat of another chair, her legs covered with a Rangers fleece throw, Maggie's PVU hoody around her shoulders.

"Hey," Maggie said softly, stepping out onto the balcony. "What are you doing out here?"

Bianca smiled, never taking her eyes off the Eiffel Tower in the distance. "Watching the rain. Listening."

Approaching carefully, Maggie stopped at Bianca's side. "How are you doing?" she whispered. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," the brunette replied, finally looking up to smile at her partner in reassurance. "Really, I'm okay."

Picking up Bianca's feet, Maggie sat down in the other chair before settling the brunette's legs onto her own. "What are you doing out here in a rainstorm? Can't you hear the thunder?"

"Yeah, I can." Bianca took a deep breath, enjoying the cool rain-scented air as it filled her lungs. "Isn't it great?"

"It doesn't bother you?" Maggie asked, her brow furrowed with confusion. "The thunder? The rain? You're okay with it?"

"Yeah, I am. I really am." Bianca smiled at Maggie, reaching out for her hand. Maggie snagged Bianca's fingers in hers, twining them together in a loving grip. "It doesn't scare me anymore, Maggie," she whispered softly. "The rain, the lightening, the sound of the thunder." She gave Maggie a wide, sincere smile. "It doesn't scare me anymore." In the ensuing silence, Bianca looked out once more at the falling rain, the sound of the drops of water pattering on the leaves of the trees that stood in the parkway in front of their building, the low rumble of thunder in the distance. "We've made love so many times during a storm that it's the only thing I think about anymore. It's not about what happened to me back then; it's about everything that's happened between you and me since we moved here."

"I did that?" Maggie asked in awe.

Bianca grinned. "You certainly helped."

"Just by sexing you up?"

"Maggie!" Bianca laughed. She shook her head. "But, yeah, that's a big part of it. I don't associate thunderstorms with that anymore. I think of making love with you during the rain."

With a devious grin, Maggie glanced back into the apartment before giving Bianca a look. "You, uh, want to go think about it some more?" she asked, tipping her head towards the stairs to the master suite.

Bianca grinned. "Sure, if you want."

"Oh, I want. Are we alone?"

"For the time being. The others should be home soon."

Maggie stood and pulled Bianca to her feet. "Well, just so you know, they'll have to make their own fun."

"Well, I should hope so!"

With a smile, Maggie led Bianca by the hand up the stair to the master suite, where they spent a little time banishing more of Bianca's meteorological ghosts.

xoxoxoxox

Later that evening, Kendall, Zach and Greenlee returned home with Miranda in tow and take-away from a local brasserie for dinner. They settled around the table with their sandwiches, wine, cheese and fresh fruit, the conversation flying around the table at mach speed.

Kendall and Greenlee were arguing over something they had seen earlier in the day at Monoprix, Paris' largest department store, Miranda was babbling to her mother about Leo's latest escapades and Maggie was in a heated discussion with Zach about their favorite topic; hockey.

The conversation had become quite loud as they argued which conference was better, the Eastern or the Western, and what goalkeeper was superior, Henrik Lundquist for the Rangers or Chris Osgood for the Red Wings. Neither was winning their respective argument, mainly because it involved phrases like, "because I said so" and "yeah, well, you're a doody-head".

Bianca spoke up suddenly. "I think I like the Maple Leafs," she stated confidently.

Maggie nearly choked on her Croque-monsieur. "WHAT?!" she exclaimed. "WHY?"

Bianca shrugged innocently. "I like their… their… symbol. The thingie on their jersey that says who they are."

"Their logo? You like their _logo_?"

"Yeah, their logo. I like their logo. And I like their colors."

"Blue and white?" Maggie exclaimed, almost amusingly apoplectic over this betrayal. "You like blue and white? The Rangers are red, white and blue, Bianca! You know, like _America_?!"

Zach carefully set his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "So, you don't like the Red Wings?"

"Speaking of Red Wings," Maggie retorted with a toss of her napkin, "what the hell is

THAT logo? It's a tire with a wing attached to it… makes no sense at all."

"You do know that Detroit is known as the Motor City. They make a lot of cars there."

"So why isn't it an engine with a wing on it?"

"Cars use tires, too, you know."

"Yeah, they also use seat belts, windshield wipers and floormats, but I don't see any of those with a wing on them slapped on the front of a hockey sweater."

"Jealous, little watch dog?"

Maggie snorted. "Of a tire with a wing on it? As if…"

"You are aware that they call Detroit Titletown?"

"I don't care if they call Detroit Wingedtiretown, it's still a stupid logo!"

"At least they have a logo. What do the Rangers have?"

Maggie jumped to her feet. "The Statue of LIBERTY!" she shouted at the big man. "_That's_ what we have! Liberty! Freedom! All that is AMERICA!"

Kendall burst out laughing. "Maggie, we're talking hockey here, remember? Not the State of the Union."

"We might as well be," the little blonde grumbled. She shook her head. "The Maple Leafs. My own _girlfriend_!"

Then Miranda piped up. "Wangers wule, Mapah Weafs dwool!"

xoxox

After everyone had retired for the night, Maggie was still miffed with Bianca. As they settled into bed, she turned onto her side and glared at the brunette. "When did you see the Maple Leafs? You usually hate when I watch hockey."

"I don't _hate_ when you watch hockey, per se," Bianca replied. "I just don't like it very much when you ignore what I'm saying because Jaromir Jagr hit a goal into the basket."

"I don't ignore you when I'm watching the Rangers!" Maggie argued.

"Maggie, you knocked me on the floor when they beat the Tornadoes the other day!"

"I think you mean the Hurricanes," the blonde retorted. She was stubbornly silent for a moment. "But I wasn't ignoring you," she contested. "I knew you were there. Didn't I help you up and apologize?"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"And you don't _hit_ a goal, you _shoot_ a goal. And it's put the _biscuit_ in the basket…."

"Whatever. You should be happy that I enjoy your enthusiasm for the sport."

"Yeah, well, I'd enjoy it more if you liked the same team I do."

"It's not like you're a Republican and I'm a Democrat, Maggie."

Maggie's eyes went wide. "Now that's just mean," she said, rolling over with a huff. "The only thing worse is if you were a Devils fan."

Bianca slipped up behind Maggie and gently spooned her body into the little blonde's. "Relax, Tiger," she whispered into Maggie's ear, her warm breath causing goose bumps to rise on Maggie's arms. "I still love you."

"Yeah, yeah, I love you, too. But the Rangers rule and the Maple Leafs drool."

xoxoxox

A week later, Bianca entered her office and found a Fed-Ex envelope lying on her desk, along with the rest of her morning mail. Hurriedly dropping her purse and briefcase on the sofa, she picked up the flat envelope and pulled the tab, ripping open the top. Pulling out the legal papers inside, she read the Post-It note in Jack's familiar handwriting stuck to the top page.

_Bianca,_

_Here are your copies of the adoption papers. They have been filed with the court and are signed, stamped and legal. Congratulations to both you and Maggie. Please give her my best. And give Miranda a kiss from her Grandpa Jack._

_My love, _

_Jack_

With a smile, she turned to the last page of the document and ran her fingers over the embossed seal, evidence along with the judges flowing signature that the papers were, in fact, legal and proper. Maggie was now legally Miranda's other mother, something no one could ever take away from her.

Chuckling to herself, she picked up her phone. "Guylene, do I have any appointments for this afternoon?" she asked her assistant.

There was a moment as the young woman perused the schedule. "No, Ms. Montgomery, just a lunch meeting with Monsieur Slater and the legal department."

"Good. Don't schedule anything and take the afternoon off. I won't be back after lunch."

"Oui, Ms. Montgomery. Merci."

Bianca smiled. "And Guylene?"

"Oui?"

"If you don't start calling me Bianca, I'll fire you."

There was startled silence for a split second, then, "Oui, Ms. Mont- I mean, oui, Bianca."

"Enjoy the afternoon, Guylene. I will enjoy mine."

After the lunch meeting, in which she and Zach had to repeatedly kick each other under the table to stay awake, Bianca hurried home and changed out of her business suit into a pair of shorts and a form-fitting La Coste polo before rushing out of the apartment again, practically skipping down the sidewalk to the Metro station.

By the time she reached the Jussieu station, Maggie would be getting out of her last class of the day and Bianca anxiously awaited the little blonde's appearance.

Maggie pulled her book bag strap over her head and settled it on her shoulder as she exited the lecture hall with Cody right in front of her. Once they reached the corridor, she moved up to his side and grinned at him.

"Thanks," she said with a sideways look up at the tall Oklahoman.

He blushed a little. "It's okay. Sometimes you get lost in the crowd and I'm afraid they've trampled you."

"It's not like everyone's rushing the stage at a Madonna concert, Cody."

"Very funny, Magpie," he responded. "Hey, have you decided how-." He stopped when he saw the wide-eyed look on her face. "What? What's wrong?"

"You called me Magpie."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I tend to give my friends nicknames-."

Maggie smiled. "No, it's okay, No one's called me Magpie since I was a kid. Frankie used to call me that. She was my twin sister."

"Was?"

"Yeah, she died about 6 years ago."

"Aw, man, I'm sorry."

Maggie laughed. "Hey, no, you know, it's okay," she assured him, waving off his concern. "Time heals and all that. And you know, everything that happened back then brought me to Bianca. _She_ brought me to Bianca."

Cody looked across the courtyard and suddenly grinned. "See you later, Magpie," he said, ending their conversation abruptly. He gave her a wink. "Have fun."

With that, he headed off to the Chem Lab, tossing a wave in the direction his eyes had been focused just moments before. Confused at Cody's quick departure, Maggie followed his gaze and felt a smile tug at her lips.

Bianca was standing near the fountain at the entrance to the Jussieu Metro station, waiting for Maggie to appear. The wind tossed her dark chocolate locks around her head as she stood with her hands in the pockets of her shorts, the picture of a fresh-faced beauty.

Maggie sidled up to Bianca's side. "Hey, what's the special occasion?"

Bianca smiled at the petite blonde with the oversized bookbag lung over her shoulder. "Does there have to be a special occasion for me to meet you at school?"

"No, it's just that I knew you had a meeting today and I didn't think you'd get out so early. You never get out of the office early enough to beat me out of class."

They started up the sidewalk along Rue Jussieu to Rue des Ecoles toward St. Germaine des Pres and the cafes that dotted the sidewalk in the area. Maggie took Bianca's hand as they crossed the intersection. Bianca easily let her.

"Well, it happened today and it was such a pretty day that I wanted to get here and take a walk with you," she explained. "We don't do it as often as we should."

Maggie chuckled. "Yeah, any time I can hold your hand is okay with me." She looked up and saw the familiar green awnings of Café Les Deux Magots "So, pretty lady, want to get a cup of coffee?"

Bianca grinned as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "That sounds nice. You buying?"

"I was thinking you could buy," the blonde said with a cheeky grin as they neared the sidewalk café. "I mean, you _are_ the one with the corporate gig."

"Yeah, well," Bianca responded with her own little smile, "_you _are the one with a brand new daughter."

Maggie almost tripped over a table. "What?"

"Sit down before you fall down, you goof." They quickly settled at the table and Bianca took Maggie's hand. They were interrupted momentarily by the waitress for their order then Bianca smiled at the blonde at her side. "Now, as I was saying..."

Maggie quickly interrupted. "You said I have a brand new daughter. So, either there's something you're _really_ not telling me or..."

Bianca grinned at her partner. "Uncle Jack sent me our copies of the papers," she said softly. "It's legal, Maggie, they've been filed with the court and you're officially Miranda's other mother."

Tears sprang almost immediately to Maggie's eyes, one shining drop clinging to her lashes before falling onto her cheek and tracking down her face. "She's officially my daughter?"

"Yeah, Tiger, she's officially your daughter. No one can take her away from you."

"Oh, my God," Maggie murmured. She grabbed a napkin and covered her face with it. "I'm sorry, I'm blubbering like an idiot."

"It's okay," Bianca reassured her. "I think I understand."

Suddenly grabbing Bianca in a hug, Maggie held her close and buried her face in fragrant chocolate locks. "Thank you for giving me a daughter," she whispered in the brunette's ear. Then she pulled back and gave Bianca a quick, hard kiss on the lips. "Thank you, Bianca. You won't be sorry."

"Maggie! Of course I won't be sorry. I could never be sorry that you are raising Miranda!" It was her turn to kiss Maggie. "You're a perfect mother for Miranda. She loves you so much."

"Well, I love her, too," Maggie replied. Tears leaked from her eyes once more. "Oh, my God," Maggie exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "I adopt a daughter and I become a huge dork!"

"Well, if it makes you feel better, you're an adorable dork."

"Gee, thanks, Bianca."

Still chuckling, Bianca raised her coffee to her lips and took a sip, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

They lingered over coffee and a pastry, looking longingly into each others eyes, talking softly and touching frequently. Too soon; however, they knew they had to start for home. Miranda would be awaiting them and there was news they couldn't wait to share with the little girl.

"Ready?" Maggie asked, getting up to hold Bianca's chair.

Bianca smiled up at the blonde. "Anxious to get home?"

Maggie shrugged as she took Bianca's hand and lead her down the sidewalk. "Well, I'm always anxious to get home to you and the Munchie, but I wouldn't mind taking a walk with you."

"That sounds nice."

"Come on," Maggie said with a grin, taking Bianca's hand and pulling her down Boulevard St. Germaine toward the Seine River before turning back into the Quartier Latin.

They walked in companionable silence, sharing only an occasional word when they passed a spot where barricades stood during the uprisings in 1832, which Victor Hugo made famous in his novel, _Les Misérables_, or strolling by Saint-Sulpice Church, a cornerstone in _The DaVinci Code_, and as they walked hand-in-hand a few blocks from Tour Montparnasse, the tallest skyscraper in Paris incongruously located in the midst of the very old-world Left Bank, and then giggling like schoolchildren when they discovered they had wandered too far south and had passed the Pasteur Institute before turning back to the northwest and the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

They were passing the École Militaire complex when Maggie's cell phone chirped from it's place in her book bag. Giving Bianca an apologetic look, Maggie dug the phone out of the pouch and looked at the screen.

_I don't recognize this number_, she thought to herself and she hit the 'talk' button. "Hello?"

"Hi, Maggie?" a vaguely familiar female voice said.

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Hi, this is Cecelia. At the school library? I found that information you were looking for."

Maggie stopped in her tracks. "How did you get my phone number?" she whispered into the phone as she turned away from Bianca. The last thing she needed was for Bianca to figure out what she was planning before she could 'pop the question', as it were.

"It's in the student directory," the Australian girl replied and Maggie did a mental head-slap for not recognizing the accent sooner. "I hope that's okay."

"Actually, no, it's not, really." Maggie stopped walking and took a breath, keeping her back to Bianca as she talked softly yet brusquely into the cell. "I have everything I need for now. I'll talk to you later." _To tell you off, you freak_, the blonde thought to herself as she turned off the phone. Putting on a blinding smile, she turned back to Bianca. "Sorry about that. Ready?"

Bianca's brow furrowed at Maggie's demeanor. The petite girl was hiding something, Bianca could always tell by the fake grin she would sport, meant to put the brunette as ease when all it did was unsettle. "Who was that?" she asked.

"Oh, that?" Maggie waved her hand as she dropped the phone back into her bag. "Just someone from school... asking for my, um, notes. From my genetics class."

"Oh. Okay." She gave Maggie a smile and extended her hand. "Come on, let's go home."

Maggie took Bianca's hand in hers, twining their fingers easily. "Yeah, let's." Breathing an internal sigh of relief, she pulled Bianca toward the Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower at its far end.

In the end, they decided they were too excited to get home and share the news with Miranda, so they headed over to the local Metro station and took the subway, or the Metro, back to their own neighborhood and rushed home from there.

Of course, Miranda understood there was something exciting happening, but didn't quite have a grasp on the whole concept of adoption. As far as she was concerned, Maggie was just as good as her mommy was, anyway. Sometimes better because she made canpakes and liked the Wangers...

She giggled and clapped with them anyway, so they wouldn't feel silly.

xoxox

Cecelia called Maggie's cell phone twice more over the next three weeks despite Maggie's requests to stop. The redhead always had a good excuse, but Maggie just got the wrong vibe from her. There was most definitely interest on Cecelia's part, no matter how obvious Maggie was that she was involved. Maggie had to shake her head in wonder, considering what had brought her to the library to begin with and why she had required Cecelia's assistance.

And _just _her assistance...

She called again one evening while Maggie was studying and the others were relaxing out on the balcony.

"Please stop calling me," Maggie practically begged, knowing that these calls were becoming suspicious to Bianca and the excuses she was using were starting to run a little thin. "You know, I just don't have time for you right now, Cecelia."

Bianca stopped short of the doorway when she heard Maggie's voice. The little blonde sounded upset and anxious, and just a little guilty. The brunette recognized the name Cecelia and decided to stay out of Maggie's way.

"My girlfriend is starting to get suspicious and you continually calling isn't helping, especially considering this secret I'm keeping."

Bianca's head came up as she listened to Maggie speaking in hushed tones, her heart thudding painfully in her chest at the words Maggie was speaking. What was she trying to say to the woman on the other end of the line? As much as she didn't want to jump to any conclusions, especially since she had no idea what was going on, Bianca's mind took off and immediately gave doubt a foothold in her heart. Quietly, she backed away from the door, logic over what was probably an innocent conversation at war with fear that everything she'd heard was much more than it seemed.

"Listen, I have to go," Maggie said into her phone before unceremoniously hitting the "off" button and hanging up on the woman. "You freak, do you not know how to take a flippin' hint? Man, what a nutjob. Why don't you go put another shrimp on the barbie, you crazy lunatic... yeesh!" She shook her head as she put her books away and shut down her Mac Book. "Crazy stalker library-type chick."

With one last shake of her head at the persistence of the young Australian woman, Maggie took a deep breath, put the entire incident out of her head and went to join the others on the balcony. She needed a glass of wine and the warm touch of her lover.

She had a plan and would be executing it over the next couple of days and didn't want anything to mess with her. Confidently, if somewhat naively, Maggie put Cecelia out of her mind and focused on the task at hand.

xoxox

Phase One began the next Tuesday, when Maggie returned home from class with a bag of Bianca's favorite pastries from their local bakery. She delivered them to her on a plate with a cup of café au lait after everyone else had retired for the night and they sat cuddled together on the bed. They nibbled at the pastry, feeding each other bites of the chocolate filled, buttery crusted treats and chatted about their day and Miranda's suddenly new penchant for ignoring her parents when told it was time to go to bed.

Wednesday brought Phase Two when Maggie surprised Bianca with a huge bouquet of wildflowers and took her and Miranda to dinner at McDonald's on the Champs Elysees. Her attentiveness was wonderful and warming, her playfulness with Miranda was inspiring, but Bianca felt an unsettling niggling form in her head. She forcibly put it out of her mind, though, because Maggie's thoughtfulness was exciting and Bianca was no idiot, she enjoyed the hell out of it. That night they made love well into morning and Maggie was very much the aggressor.

"Shit!" Maggie suddenly exclaimed the next morning, throwing bedclothes off her legs and leaping out of bed. "I'm late!" She started digging through the dresser for an armload of clean clothes then ran back over to the bed and Bianca. "I am so late. I gotta run," she said, smacking a hard kiss to Bianca's lips before hurrying to the bathroom. "You. Go back to sleep, I'll see you later!" The door slammed shut. "I love you!"

"Love you, too," Bianca said to the empty room, her eyes on the door her whirling dervish of a girlfriend had just disappeared behind and hearing the water being turned on in what must have been the shower. With a contented sigh, she lay back in the bed and pulled the covers over her shoulders, burrowing her head deep into Maggie's pillow.

Closing her eyes, she started to drift back to sleep.

The buzzing of a fly near her head urged her back awake and she looked around, fully intending to nail the little bugger with the alarm clock if it gave her the opportunity. The buzzing continued while she waited for it to show itself before she realized it was Maggie's cell phone on the nightstand, and not Jeff Goldblum after a science experiment had gone terribly awry.

"Mags," she called out. "Hey, your phone-." She stopped when she heard the shower still running and Maggie warbling a Tony Orlando and Dawn tune about knocking on doors and banging on pipes. Shaking her head, she reached for the Slivr on the night table and hit the "On" button. "Hello?"

"Maggie?" a female voice asked.

"No, this is Bianca. Who's this?" *click* Bianca looked at the phone in her hand. "What the hell?" she muttered before hitting the off button and putting the phone down. She heard the shower being shut off and crawled out of bed, heading for the bathroom door. "Hey, Maggie-."

The door burst open and Maggie rushed out in a billow of steamy air, her hair still damp, her Rangers t-shirt tucked haphazardly into her jeans. "Hey, Sweetie, what are you doing out of bed?" she asked as she hurried by the bemused brunette. "Oh, there it is!" she said to herself, grabbing the Sliver off the nightstand and hauling up her leather book bag. "I'll see you later, okay? Maybe I'll have something… special… for you tonight." She waggled her eyebrows at Bianca. "Sound good? Cool. Oh, still late, gotta run." Her lips grazed Bianca's cheek as she raced toward the door and out of the room. "See ya, Munchie!" she called out.

"Bye, 'Aggie!" Miranda shouted back, indicating that she was already awake and up for the day.

Bianca stood in the middle of the bedroom still unsure what had just happened.

xoxox

Maggie kicked the door shut behind her, balancing the bag of chocolates in her hand with her book bag and cell phone. "Honey! I'm home!" she called out.

"In the kitchen, Darling!" Greenlee shouted back.

"Haha, very funny," Maggie retorted as she pushed open the kitchen door. "What's going on in here?" she asked, seeing Bianca, her sister and her step-sister seated around the kitchen table with a glass of wine.

"Just chatting," Kendall replied. "Hey, what's in the bag?"

Maggie glanced down at the paper sack in her hand. "None of your business," she informed the curly-haired woman before turning her attention to Bianca. "Can I talk to you?"

Bianca smiled. "Sure."

There was a long pause then Maggie rolled her eyes. "In private, duh!"

"Oh, man," Greenlee groaned. "They're going to start necking, I just know it." She got up. "Come on, Kendy, I think there's a shoe sale out there somewhere just calling our names."

Kendall got up to follow the shorter woman out of the room. "Did you just call me Kendy? You just called me Kendy, didn't you?"

"I could call you Stick instead, would that be better?"

"Uh, _no_."

Bianca and Maggie just looked at each other as the other two women's voices faded, bickering over nicknames and shoes as they made themselves scarce. Once they could no longer hear the two yammering, Maggie turned to the brunette and held out the bag.

"I have something for you."

"Oh, a gift? Maggie, what's the special occasion? You brought me those wonderful pastries from the bakery, then flowers and dinner-."

"At _McDonald's,_" Maggie replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Still, you've already brought me presents, what is this?"

"Open it and see."

Bianca took the white sack from Maggie's hand and opened it, peering inside. "Maggie, these are-."

"Yeah, your favorite chocolates. I had to go to three stores to get these. Apparently, they're _everybody's_ favorite chocolates."

"Maggie, what-."

Maggie interrupted quickly. "Does there have to be a reason?"

Bianca eyed Maggie. "With you? Yes, there usually does have to be a reason."

"Well, maybe it's because I like the way you taste like chocolate when we kiss. You ever think of that?"

This time, Bianca rolled her eyes. "No, Casanova, I didn't think of that." She gave Maggie a little smirk. "You have an answer for everything, don't you?"

"Yes." She gave Bianca a peck on the lips. "Why don't you pour us each a glass of wine and I'll meet you on the balcony."

"Okay."

Maggie went to grab her book bag and take it into the den while Bianca turned to the wine on the counter to do as Maggie had suggested. She reached for two wine glasses so she could pour some of the ruby red Bordeaux and meet Maggie as she requested.

"What's that?" Kendall asked, snatching the bag out of Bianca's grasp as she and Greenlee re-entered the kitchen. She peered inside. "Ooh, chocolates!"

"Don't!" Bianca snapped, playfully slapping at Kendall's hands. "Those are from Maggie!"

Greenlee yanked the bag out of Kendall's fingers. "Oh, those are the good ones!" she exclaimed, her face practically inside the white paper sack. She glanced up at Bianca. "What did she do?"

Bianca looked up from the glass of wine she was pouring. "What?"

"What did she do? You know, what's she apologizing for?" Greenlee gave Bianca a look of exasperation. "Come on, Bianca, these are expensive chocolates. These are 'I'm sorry for whatever it was I did that I was wrong to do, but did it anyway, so I need forgiveness' chocolates. She must have done _something_." She put her hand in her chin, elbow on the table. "So, come on, spill. What did she do?"

"She didn't do anything, she just bought me some chocolates because she knows they're my favorite."

Kendall snorted. "Yeah, right. She must have done something you don't know about, then."

Those words gave Bianca pause and she turned away to finish pouring the wine. The mysterious phone calls and Maggie's nervous behavior after the calls came rushing to Bianca's mind, those niggling little feelings she managed to tamp down now racing through her head like a runaway train.

Shaking off the feeling of impending doom, Bianca spun on the other two. "Why don't you two go somewhere?"

"Like where?" Greenlee asked with another eye roll. "We've done everything there is to do in Paris, I swear."

Bianca put the wine glasses down and leaned close. "You could always try London," she stated with deadly calm.

Greenlee's eyes went wide and she gave Kendall a shove. "Let's try that," she said, pushing the other woman out of her chair and following her quickly. "I'll call a travel agent."

"But you said 'shoes'," Kendall whined as she allowed Greenlee to push her along. "I distinctly heard you say the word 'sale'!"

Shaking her head, Bianca went back to the den with the wine glasses and bag of chocolates in her hands. "Maggie...," she started to say, her voice dying as she heard Maggie in a one-sided conversation, obviously on her cell phone.

"Listen, I don't know how else I can say this," Maggie stated angrily. "Thanks for what you did for me, but I have everything I need right here... No, I'm done, I don't need you anymore... Cecelia, what you have I don't need anymore. Please, stop calling me before Bianca finds out what I've done."

Alarm bells went off in Bianca's head at those words and she immediately feared the worst. Her fears, as far as she was concerned, were confirmed. Something was happening with Maggie and this Cecelia person. Bianca felt her heart cracking apart in her chest and the pain took her breath away. She didn't know what to think but, naturally, she thought the worst. It was simple human nature and Bianca was nothing if not human.

Standing quietly, she watched Maggie hang up the phone then turn around. The shock on the blonde's face was evident.

"Hey," she said, summoning up as much cheer as she could. "Got the wine?"

"Who was that on the phone?" Bianca asked, her tone stiff and hollow.

"That? Oh, um, a girl from- from my physics class. She, uh, she needs my notes. She missed class yesterday."

Bianca closed her eyes as her heart was jolted. "You didn't have physics yesterday, Maggie."

Maggie tried to recover as she took a glass of wine from the brunette. "I mean, she missed class and yesterday asked me for my notes." The blonde started to panic. She'd never been able to lie to Bianca convincingly and she knew this time would be even worse. "Have you had a chocolate yet? You know how good they are with the wine."

"Maggie."

"Bianca."

Bianca was getting frustrated. "What's going on, Maggie. Some woman has been calling you for a couple of weeks and every time she does, you freak out."

"Freak out? I don't freak out. What makes you think I'm freaking out?"

"You stammer and come up with some excuse, you get all nervous and you just plain freak out."

Maggie rolled her eyes in frustration. "What do you want me to say, Bianca?"

"Tell me what's going on."

There was silence for a long moment. "There's nothing going on," Maggie insisted, her eyes cutting to the glass of wine in her hands.

"Don't lie to me, Maggie. I always know when you're lying and I can tell you're lying now."

"What do you want me to say, Bianca?"

"I don't know, why don't you tell me the truth? What's going on?"

Maggie was stubbornly silent for a long time and as each second passed, Bianca's heart thudded harder and more painfully.

"I can't tell you," Maggie finally admitted.

The breath left Bianca's body in a rush as the worst she could imagine suddenly felt like a reality. "Who is she, Maggie?"

"What? She's some girl from school!" That, at least, was the truth.

"Who _is_ she? Why is she calling you?"

"Please, Bianca, just... trust me on this. I can't answer that."

Bianca felt her eyes burn with unshed tears, both of sorrow and anger. "Are you cheating on me?"

Maggie's head snapped up as if she'd been slapped. "What the hell kind of question is that?! Of course I'm not cheating on you!"

"Then tell me who she is!"

"I can't!"

"Maggie-!"

Maggie spun on the brunette and took a step closer. "I am _not _cheating on you! I would _never_ do that! _Never_!"

"You've done it before."

The words were spoken so calmly, they were almost hollow. Maggie felt her heart drop all the way to her feet with the realization that Bianca could think she would hurt her like that.

"If you think that," she said softly, setting her wine glass down and turning away, "then you don't know me very well."

Bianca snorted indelicately. "Typical Stone fashion, just run from it."

Maggie spun around quickly. "Oh, that's bullshit, Bianca, and you know it!"

"Maggie, remember when you kissed me and 4 hours later you were caught having sex with Jamie in Adam's limo?"

"Bianca! First of all, we weren't even _dating_ when I kissed you so you can't call that cheating-!"

"-Semantics, Maggie-."

"And second… I had just kissed a woman for the first time in my life! And she was my _best friend_! I didn't know what to do!" Maggie stopped and sighed, swiping her bangs off her forehead in frustration. "I never cheated, Bianca. Not on Jamie, not on Henry, not on Jonathan and not on _you_!"

"And speaking of Jonathan," Bianca cut in, unwilling to let it go, "when we kissed- when I kissed you, you kissed me back. Enthusiastically, Maggie, _you kissed me back_!"

"Yes, I did. Because it was _you_. If you want to be honest, Bianca, the only person I have ever cheated _with_ was _you_. I was in _love_ with you. I _am_ in love with you!" She stomped over to the desk and started shoving books into her book bag. "You wanna know why Cecelia called? I've been researching us registering our partnership! I was gonna ask you to commit to me the only way France recognizes!"

Bianca stood in shocked silence for a moment then pressed her hand to her forehead. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God, Maggie," she murmured softly. She was crushed by her actions and closed her eyes in despair. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I don't know what's gotten in to me lately."

Maggie snorted. "Yeah, me, neither." She shook her head. "I can't believe you think I would cheat on you. Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, I don't honestly know." She dropped onto the sofa. "She was calling for you all the time and you were so secretive. And then, I think she called this morning."

"What? When?"

"You were in the shower. Your cell phone rang and I answered it. When I asked who it was, she just hung up. I- I thought the worst."

"You thought the worst of me."

"No. No, Maggie. I thought the worst of _me_."

"What?"

"I knew there was a logical explanation, I knew you wouldn't do something like that, but I let it get to me, I let it create doubt in my mind and with everything that happened, I couldn't stop from letting it just take root and grow. I just couldn't stop myself. I was wrong and I knew it, but I just couldn't stop myself." She sighed. "I just couldn't stop myself," she repeated for a third time.

"Bianca-."

"I'm sorry, Maggie," Bianca interrupted, shaking her head. "I'm so, so sorry. I know you love me and I know you would never cheat. I can't believe..." she took a shuddering breath, "I can't believe I accused you..."

Maggie sat down on the sofa at Bianca's side, taking the brunette's hands in hers. "I think I can understand, B," she said softly. "I was keeping secrets from you, and it must have seemed really suspicious. You know I've never been able to lie to you and when Cecelia started calling me, I panicked. I tried covering, but those excuses were so bad, I knew you'd get suspicious... But I didn't want you to know what I was doing. I wanted to surprise you."

"You did," Bianca agreed. "And I lost my mind."

Maggie gave her a smile. "Grab your wine and the chocolate and follow me."

"Are you going to tell me about all the research you've been doing?"

"Just come on."

xoxox

They sat on the chaise, watching the Eiffel Tower's twinkling lights, Bianca wrapped in Maggie's arms, their fingers intertwined. The night air carried a slight chill, normal for Paris even in the summertime, and Maggie pulled the PVU stadium blanket over them, cocooning them in the warmth of shared body heat and love.

Maggie gently pressed a kiss to Bianca's temple as they nuzzled closer.

"So…," Maggie said softly. "Seriously... what's this stuff about the Maple Leafs?"

TBC-


	21. An Iron Clad Contract

A/N: If there is anyone still reading this, my sincerest apologies for the ridiculously long delay between the last chapter and now. I have no excuse other than real life has knocked me off my intended path. I honestly hope to do better in the future.

**Sweet wonderful you,  
You make me happy with the things you do,  
Oh, oh, oh can it be so,  
This feeling follows me wherever I go.**

**I never did believe in miracles,**  
**But I've a feeling it's time to try.**  
**I never did believe in the ways of magic,**  
**But I'm beginning to wonder why.**

Fleetwood Mac - _You Make Lovin' Fun_

Chapter 21

August 2006

Paris, France

The sun flooded in through the bedroom window, giving Leo the cat a spot to curl up in its warm golden light, having silently padded in from the nursery where Miranda still slept. It was quiet in the early hours of a lazy summer Saturday morning, the inhabitants of the house reveling in the warm privacy of their rooms.

In the master suite, Maggie sat up in bed, adjusting the pillow behind her back. "Do you see what I mean?" she asked, watching as Bianca did the same, pulling the covers up over their legs. "I was trying to keep it a secret so I could surprise you."

"I get that, Maggie," Bianca replied. "But you could have done a better job of keeping the secret."

"Hey, you should be happy I can't lie to you. At least you'll always know when I'm hiding something."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure that quite makes up for it, Mags."

Maggie slid her arm around Bianca's shoulder and pulled her close. "I'm sorry about that Cecelia person, Boom Boom," she murmured. "I never thought she'd be such a crazy stalker-type chick. I just asked for help with some research and the next thing I know, she's getting my number out of the student directory and calling me. What kind of crazy person does that?"

"Well, you are kinda cute and hard to resist."

Maggie snorted. "Yeah, this wild Stone charisma, I have to beat them off with a stick."

"I wouldn't mind if you beat this Cecelia person with a stick," the brunette muttered.

"Bianca!"

"What? I'm just saying."

"Ooh, possessive… I like it."

"We're getting off topic here," Bianca admonished. "I want you to tell me about this fascinating research you were doing that cause this trollop to fixate on you."

Maggie gave Bianca a look. "Did you just say 'trollop'? What is this, the 1800's? Or have you been reading those romance novels your mother conveniently leaves lying around the place, hoping you'll get the hint and switch teams?" Suddenly, a thoughtful look slipped across Maggie's face. "That's a weird word, isn't it? Trollop." She cocked her head. "Sounds like 'dollop', doesn't it? But dollop is a weird word, too. A dollop. Trollop, dollop, wallop, there, see? Another word that's weird sounding plus it rhymes with trollop. But I think a dollop is one of those words that actually sounds like what it means. Does that make sense-?"

"Maggie!"

The blonde stopped babbling and had the good sense to look chastened. "Sorry. What did you ask?" Bianca just gave her a look, similar to that smiley emoticon Maggie liked to use when they emailed to each other about some of the outrageous happenings in Pine Valley… :bob is what the code was, Bianca thought. Maggie sighed. "Okay, okay." She took Bianca's hands. "Turn around and face me."

Bianca did as she was told, sitting Indian-style in front of Maggie, their knees touching. "Okay," she said, sweeping a lock of hair behind her ear before Maggie took hold of both her hands. "You're nervous, I can tell. Talk to me, Maggie."

Maggie sighed. "Well," she admitted with a little grin, "it's not every day I ask someone to join their life with mine forever."

"Maggie…"

"Come on, Binks, you had to know it was coming to this."

"No, actually, I didn't." The brunette grinned ruefully. "We haven't had the best track record, you and me, you know."

Maggie nodded and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Okay, I'll admit that we've never done things the easy way, but, really? You didn't think that once we got together that we'd end up married or the most legal equivalent?"

Bianca smiled and gave Maggie a look. "I'll admit to day-dreaming about it."

"Day-dreaming?" Maggie asked with a lop-sided grin.

"Okay, day-dreaming, night-dreaming, mid-morning, late afternoon. You got me, I dreamt about it a lot. But I honestly didn't think that it would ever happen."

Maggie took Bianca's hands in hers. "Why not? Did you think I'd freak out or something?"

Bianca shrugged. "To be perfectly honest? Yeah, I think so." At Maggie's silent insistence, the brunette continued. "Think about it, Maggie. You kind of just came out of the closet a year ago. Every other relationship you've ever had has been with men, you were engaged to Jonathan-."

"Don't remind me," Maggie muttered under her breath.

"I'm the only woman you've ever been with-."

Maggie cocked an eyebrow at Bianca. "Are we going to list _all_ my faults? Because that could take some time."

Bianca chuckled along with the blonde. "Okay, okay." She sighed. "I guess I'm just- I don't know… I don't want you to jump into something this big just because you think it's something I want. I don't want you feeling obligated or anything."

"Why on earth would you think I feel _obligated_ to marry you?"

There was a moment of silence. "Can I be frank with you?"

"You can be whoever the hell you want to be, Binks. Just talk to me."

Bianca sighed again and, using both hands, tucked her hair back behind her ears. Then she dropped her hands into her lap, wondering when they suddenly had become so ineffectual. "Maggie," she began softly, "up until a year ago, you were heterosexual. You were living with Jonathan and had only slept with him, Henry and Jamie. You insisted to me on several occasions that you _weren't_ gay, that you _didn't_ love me that way, and you went about proving it with Jonathan and Henry and Jamie-."

"Okay, I get your point on that, can we stop saying their names? Especially that first one?"

"Okay, okay," Bianca conceded. "I guess… I guess I'm just having a hard time reconciling you as wanting to commit to a woman, let alone think about marriage. Does that make any sense? It's not that I doubt your feelings or anything like that, it's just- you don't strike me as the down on one knee proposing marriage kind of person, okay?" She dropped her face into her hands. "Man, that just came out so wrong…"

Maggie's brow furrowed as she looked at her girlfriend. "It's okay, Bianca, I understand."

"No," Bianca replied, shaking her head with her face still buried in her palms. "No, you can't understand because even _I_ don't understand what I just said."

"Then why do you think I would feel obligated to marry you?"

Bianca smiled a little, but the confusion in her face was still visible. "Maybe I'm being silly," she said with a shake of her head. "I don't even know why I brought this up." She put her hand over her eyes. "Forget I said anything-."

"No, wait a minute," Maggie replied, pulling Bianca's hand away from her face and twining their fingers. "We're not going to brush it aside when this is clearly something that has been on your mind." She gave Bianca a lopsided smile. "So… you think I'm not the marrying kind?"

"I don't know," Bianca sighed. "I don't know how to explain it." She stopped and marshaled her thoughts before taking a breath. "A little over a year ago, Maggie, you were straight. Any marriage you were thinking about was to-." She stopped at the warning look in Maggie's eyes. "A man," she continued with a cough. "I just- it's hard for me to imagine, I guess. I just- do you actually see yourself in the future referring to me as your wife?"

Maggie was silent for a long time, mulling Bianca's words over in her head, trying to gather her words to explain so that this wouldn't end up in disaster. "Well," she agreed with that trademark Stone grin, "I'm not a white picket fence type. I think I'm more a Paris apartment mansion type." When Bianca barely smiled, Maggie got serious. "I'm not asking you to marry me, Binks. Not yet, anyway. France doesn't allow same-sex marriages. I want us to register our partnership because I _do_ want to commit to a life with you, to bind our lives together and make a family with Miranda. This is the only way France will legally let us do it. And then maybe, someday, we'll actually get married. Tie the knot. Hook up the old ball and chain-."

"Okay, okay."

"You know, in a way, you're right. I'm not big on marriage. But not because of you. The way I saw marriage was my dad running out on my mom and Frankie and me. Then watching JR and Babe manipulate Jamie _and_ each other. And then thinking marrying Jonathan was the right thing to do and that it would have been traditional in any way. Marrying him would have been a huge mistake. But… I don't think that when I look at you. Or when I think about us a couple years from now or 5 or 10 or 25 years from now."

The little blonde looked at Bianca and knew she was still hesitant. And she understood what Bianca was saying, even if she didn't think she'd articulated it very well. Maggie shoved her hair back over her shoulders and took Bianca's hands in hers once more. "I love you, Bianca. I love you and Miranda more than anything in this world and I want us to be a family in every sense of the word. You're it for me and I know that in my heart and in my head." She gave Bianca a reassuring little smile. "I can picture us together for the rest of our lives, waking up next to you every morning, seeing your face first thing every day, kissing you good night every night, smiling when I see you again when one of us walks through the door. Making love to you every night."

Bianca laughed. "Oh, really? _Every_ night."

"Okay, maybe not _every_ night, but pretty damn close!" She smiled. "And after everything, neither one of us would ever get tired of it. I want us to be a family, Bianca, because I know we can be. I want what I didn't have as a kid and I know that I can have that with you because I love you. More than anything." She shook her head. "Anyway, I started doing some research but I didn't want to tell you until I had all the facts. The whole 'getting your hopes up for no reason'-thing, you know?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, I get it."

"So, anyway, that's what all the secrecy was about." She sat for a moment, pleased with herself for the simple explanation before she realized that Bianca was just looking at her expectantly. "What?"

"Ask me." Maggie looked back at her blankly. "_Ask_ me."

"What, now? This isn't exactly romantic, B."

"Oh, I disagree. What could be more romantic than in our bed in our own bedroom on a beautiful Saturday morning?"

"Really?" At Maggie's question, Bianca nodded, her hair dancing around her head at the action. "Uh, okay." Suddenly getting in the spirit of what she was about to do, Maggie wiggled closer on the bed, moving onto her knees before taking Bianca's hands in hers once more. "Bianca Christine Montgomery," she said, trying to be serious but unable to keep the laughter out of her voice. "I love you and I love your daughter-."

"_Our_ daughter."

Maggie grinned. "_Our_ daughter, very much. And I want us to be a family. I want us to make it as legal as possible with a civil union. Will you go down to City Hall with me and make it legal?" She took a deep breath and attempted to be serious. "Will you sign a contract with me?"

Bianca burst out laughing. "Maggie..." she laughed, flopping over on the bed.

"Hey! This is not the response I expected!"

"I'm sorry, but you're right."

"About what?"

"It's not as romantic as I thought it would be."

Suddenly, Maggie got serious. "Will you, Bianca? Will you make a commitment to us with a civil union?"

"Oh, Maggie," the brunette replied, catching her breath and calming back down, "Yes. You know I've been in love with you since the moment I fainted at your feet. This is what I've wanted for so long, how on earth could I say no?"

"I've never truly known love until I met you, Bianca. I think I was waiting for you." She took Bianca's hands in hers and played with their fingers, her eyes fixed on her fidgeting. "I think that's why... why I fought for so long. I didn't know what it was or how to react to it. And it wasn't what I expected at all. But I know now, that I love you like I could never love anyone else in my life. And I always want to be with you."

Bianca gently disentangled a hand and reached for Maggie, turning the blonde's face up to hers. "I have loved you all my life, it feels," she said softly. "And I know I'll never love anyone else the way that I love you. I want more than anything to spend my life with you, Maggie Stone. Forever."

Maggie gave her a lopsided grin. "Even if our kid wants to play hockey?"

"Yeah," Bianca replied with a smile. "Even if she wants to play hockey."

"Okay, but I want you to remember that."

Bianca leaned over and kissed Maggie gently on the lips. "I will, I promise."

Maggie paused for a moment then threw herself at Bianca, knocking the brunette onto her back and collapsing gently atop her. Their lips collided in a hard kiss that quickly turned gentle yet heated. Maggie raised herself up on her hands a bit and leaned over Bianca, kissing her with more passion as Bianca's arms slid around Maggie's waist.

"Whoa," Bianca mumbled, trying to catch her balance. "Aggressive much, Mags?"

Maggie grinned down into Bianca's eyes. "Are you saying there's not going to be any celebration sex?"

"Well, no."

"Yeah, I didn't think so." She kissed Bianca again. "Why do you still have clothes on?"

Bianca grabbed the hem of Maggie's tank top and tugged. "I could ask you the same," she replied, pulling the shirt upward.

"Whoa, whoa," Maggie warned as she felt Bianca leveraging their balance in her haste to rid the blonde of her apparel. "Easy, there, Binks."

"You were attacking me a minute ago!"

"I know, but we're dangerousl- ACK!"

The bed shifted and the slow slide off the edge of the mattress began.

"Mag-!"

With a little shriek, Bianca grabbed Maggie tightly by the shirt while Maggie's arms tightened around Bianca's waist as the world tilted around them. Suddenly, in a flurry of comforter and sheets, they tumbled unceremoniously off the bed and landed with a *thud* on the floor, legs tangled in bed-linens. Someone's head bonked against the wall while an elbow jabbed someone in the side. Leo the cat yowled, leapt to his paws and raced out of the room, his tail the size of a bottle brush.

"Ow…" Maggie muttered. "You bruised my ribs with a well-placed elbow."

"I think I have a concussion," Bianca mumbled, rubbing the back of her head.

"I stabbed my brain."

"Yeah, well, I think I started my period."

Maggie stopped rubbing the knot on her head and gave Bianca a look. "Thank you, Audrey Griswold. No more _National Lampoon_ movies for you."

"You started it."

They were stubbornly silent for a moment then Maggie looked at Bianca with a twinkle in her eye. "So you wanna do it right here?"

Bianca looked around. "Is there enough room?"

"Hey," Maggie shrugged, "we won't know until we try."

They leaned in and kissed, hands slowly beginning to seek warm flesh as bodies strained towards each other. Bianca pulled the comforter up over their heads as they burrowed deeply into their own little cocoon.

Suddenly, Maggie shot upright, fighting her way out of a flurry of snow white sheets and pillows like someone had lit her rear on fire. "Cramp!" she shouted, dancing around the room on her tiptoes as her calf sent shooting pains up her leg. "Cramp! Cramp, cramp, cramp!" She hobbled across to the dresser and back. "Ow, ow, ow…"

"Are you okay?" Bianca asked, pushing hair out of her eyes.

"I gotta cramp," the little blonde explained needlessly. "In my leg." She bent down and began rubbing vigorously at her calf. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…."

"Mommie!" a child's cry came from the nursery. "Mommiemommiemommiemommie!"

Bianca dropped her head onto a pillow. "Well, so much for celebration sex."

"Ow, ow, ow," Maggie repeated, hopping across the bedroom as Bianca got to her feet and headed for the nursery.

"This is our luck. Always interrupted," the brunette said, glancing back at her lover before opening the nursery door and finding their daughter using her new big girl bed like a tampoline. "Unreal…"

"Mommie!" Miranda shouted again.

"Yes, sweetie," Bianca replied with a grin. "You keep jumping up and down on that Rangers logo. I'll get you some Maple Leafs sheets next."

"The hell you- ow, ow, ow- will!" Maggie called out, still bounding across the room.

"Hell!" Miranda bellowed, still jumping on her mattress. "Hellhellhellhellhell!"

"Maggie!" Bianca shouted.

The cramp in Maggie's calf suddenly dissipated, as if it knew that it stood no chance against Bianca after hearing Miranda gleefully shouting one of Maggie's favorite curse words, and Maggie stopped in the middle of the room, her head falling forward.

"Crap."

"Cwap!" Miranda parroted. "Cwapcwapcwapcwap!" Each word was punctuated with a bounce off the mattress, her light brown hair flying around her head.

"How did she hear that?"

"She's got ears like a bat, Maggie. You need to watch your mouth."

"Sorry."

"Yeah, yeah."

xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Two days later, Bianca strolled confidently into the library at UPMC, knowing with certainty that Maggie was ensconced in a class that included words Bianca couldn't even pronounce and her task would not be interrupted. With her jeans and blouse, not to mention her youthful beauty, she could have easily passed for a student, if her ridiculously expensive Louis Vuitton bag and the Christian Louboutin heels she wore with her Seven for All Mankind jeans hadn't given her away.

Her heels clicking on the marble floor, she strode to the circulation desk, her eyes scanning everyone with a place behind the huge carved stone counter.

"Pardon," she called out softly, catching one young man's attention. "Pouvez-vous me dire si Cecelia est ici?"*

"Oui," he replied, looking over to the information desk across the library. "Là-bas."

Bianca glanced in the direction he had pointed. "Merci," she said, turning and marching toward the redhead seated behind the desk.

The woman looked up as Bianca approached. "Bon jour, est-ce que je peux vous aider?"*

"Oui," Bianca replied as sweetly as she could punctuating it with a dazzling smile. "Parlez vous anglais?"

"Yes, I do," the woman said, switching easily to English with a strong Australian accent and responding with a smile of her own. "Can I help you?"

Bianca leaned close. "Are you Cecelia?" she whispered conspiratorially, with a hint of come-hither in her eyes.

"Yes, I am. How-."

"My name is Bianca Montgomery," the brunette replied, her entire demeanor transforming instantly to a 'butter wouldn't melt in her mouth' smile and flashing eyes. "I think you know my girlfriend, Maggie Stone?"

Cecelia's eyes widened in recognition... and touch of trepidation. "Yes, I-."

Bianca's hand came up quickly, choking off the words coming out of Cecelia's mouth. Her countenance changed instantly again, this time to cold and commanding, brooking no argument. "No. You don't get to talk, understand?" Cecelia just nodded dumbly. "I'm going to tell you this once and I want you to follow along, okay? Just nod your head if you understand what I'm saying." The girl's head bobbed up and down vigorously, her eyes still wide with apprehension. "You've been calling and harassing my girlfriend for a couple of weeks now and she would like for you to stop. _I_ would like for you to stop. She came in here seeking assistance for some very personal research and since that time you have called her incessantly on her private cell phone under the guise of _assisting her_," and Bianca used air quotes here to make her point, "when that hasn't been your intention at all, has it?"

Cecelia opened her mouth to respond and Bianca leaned closer. "I said you don't get to talk," she stated in a calm yet menacing voice. "Let me make this quick and to the point. You don't call Maggie, you don't talk to Maggie, you don't look at Maggie, you don't even _think_ about Maggie. If you _see_ Maggie, in the library or anywhere else on the continent, you will find someplace else you need to be. Do you understand?" There was silence. "You can talk now."

"Y-yes," the redhead stuttered.

"Good. If I ever hear your name again, I will personally see to it that you are removed from this university and lose your student Visa. If you think I can't do it... just try me."

"You- you can't-."

"Oh, yes, I can. My mother is Erica Kane, she taught me exactly how to do it." Once more, Bianca leaned closer to the young woman, getting in her face without appearing at all threatening to the uninterested observer. "Don't make me angry, Cecelia. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

With that, Bianca tossed her ebony locks over her shoulders, straightened and walked away with all the dignity she could muster while one thought pinged around inside her head. _Oh, Lord, I just quoted David Banner from __**The Incredible Hulk**_, she thought as she hurried while trying to appear not to hurry to the enormous wooden door only 15 feet in front of her, her heels clicking loudly on the marble floor in her haste to escape. _Maggie's got me watching way too much TVLand…_

She stepped out into the sunshine, her heart about to explode from the sensation of holding her breath, wondering if she would make a clean getaway before Cecelia recognized the quote and called her out for what was truly a false bravado. The moment she tasted fresh air, she burst into giggles.

"Binks?" an incredibly familiar voice called out, stopping the brunette in her tracks. "What are you doing here?"

"Maggie!" Bianca replied with an overly bright smile. "What a coincidence. I was looking all over for you."

Maggie's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Oh, really. I just got out of class. And you know that because you asked me what my schedule was like just this morning."

Bianca's laughter was bright and full of joy. "I did, didn't I?"

The hair on Maggie's neck suddenly stood on end, knowing full well that Bianca had been up to something. "What did you do!" she exclaimed. When Bianca stood there just grinning at her, she grabbed the brunette's hand and pulled her down the steps. "Bianca! What did you do!"

"What?" Bianca replied, her face the absolute picture of innocence.

Maggie knew better. "Bianca."

"Nothing!" Bianca replied, her voice absolutely sparkling with laughter. "I didn't do anything! I was… just… making a point!" Her index finger went skyward. "Yes! I was making a point!"

Still dragging Bianca behind her, Maggie headed for L'inevitable, a small sidewalk café that sat on the grounds of the university, and found a table. Bianca stared at her like a confused kid. "Sit," the blonde ordered.

Bianca sat.

Maggie took the chair next to her and put her elbows on the table, her fingers laced together as she gave Bianca her best "_you better spill it_" look. Bianca looked back, doing _her_ best to appear unaffected, until she had to look away and began to straighten the utensils on the table in front of her. Repeatedly.

"Oh, alright!" Bianca exclaimed, her eyes shut tight to avoid the penetrating stare of her girlfriend. "I went to the library to have a chat with Cecelia."

"You what?" Maggie replied, absolutely stunned by Bianca's admission.

"I went to the library," Bianca reiterated. "I went to the library tell Cecelia to back off my girlfriend and to stop calling you all the time."

"You did?"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Don't act so surprised, Maggie. So I got a little jealous. It happens. Sue me."

Maggie was gob-smacked. "Really?"

"Yes, Maggie, really," Bianca snapped, reading Maggie's reaction completely wrong.

Without warning, Maggie reached over and put her hand behind Bianca's head, pulling her in fast and planting a hard, yet enthusiastic, kiss on her lips before releasing her so fast the brunette almost fell off her chair. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

Bianca just looked at Maggie, her expression as gob-smacked as Maggie's had been only moments before. "No," she finally replied, "at least not in the last few hours."

"Well, I love you, Bianca Christine Montgomery," Maggie said, adding a lump of sugar to her café au lait. "For some reason, I love you with all my heart."

Bianca smirked. "Never-ending sex might have something to do with it," she growled under her breath.

"It's not nearly never-ending enough," Maggie growled right back, her eyes on the swirling mocha-colored liquid in her cup. "Getting you naked right now would be a good thing…"

Bianca's coffee cup slipped from her fingers and clattered back into the saucer. "You wanna… go home?"

Maggie looked up and met Bianca's gaze, finding the heavy-lidded chocolate eyes caressing her face so intently she could almost feel it.

The table tipped precariously on one leg before righting itself as its two occupants made their hasty exit, cups and saucers rattling on its surface as it settled back onto the sidewalk. The waitress stopped suddenly, wondering where the two young women had disappeared to after barely having been served. She looked down.

A 20€ Euro bill was tucked under a coffee cup, more than covering the 7€ Euro tab.**

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Greenlee slammed the front door shut behind her. "I'm just saying," she said impatiently as she trailed after Kendall, "is that song is horribly misogynistic."

Kendall kept walking into the den, tossing bags from various designer boutiques on the sofa. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That Piña Colada song," Greenlee replied with a roll of her eyes. "You know, where the guy reads a personals ad in the paper and replies to it? And it turns out it's from his girlfriend or wife or lover or whatever?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So? So?" Greenlee shook her head. "Are you not listening?" she railed at the taller woman. "She's lying in bed _right there next to him_ and he's reading the personals because, and I quote, _**I was tired of my lady**_."

"Okay," Kendall said, knowing there was no shutting Greenlee up until she'd made her point. "Go on."

"I mean, apparently he wasn't too tired of her, since they were in bed together, but he obviously sucked in the sack because he was awake and she was sleeping-."

"Greenlee!"

The smaller woman had the good sense to look sheepish. "Sorry. Anyway… what was I saying?"

"Personals ad, sleeping next to him, sucked in bed."

"Oh, yeah. Okay… so, she's laying _right there_ and he's complaining that the relationship is in a rut and while she's laying _right there_, he's checking out the personal ads, finds one and replies to it! Who wrote this song? A chauvinist pig?"

Kendall appeared thoughtful. "So it would seem."

Greenlee kept going as if she hadn't heard her BFF speak. "I mean, the first freaking line of the song is _I was tired of my lady_, how sexist is that? Well, you know what? Maybe she was tired of you, too, Skippy, or you would have at least been able to keep her awake during sex."

"He was tired of his _lady_?" Kendall asked incredulously. "Seriously? Who talks like that?"

"Male chauvinist pig songwriters back in the 70's."

"Oh, well… that makes sense."

"Wait, it gets better. You know while she's lying there asleep and he's contemplating screwing around on her? He writes his own personals ad. Then he says- sings- whatever; _So I wrote to the paper, Took out a personal ad, And though I'm nobody's poet, I thought it wasn't half bad_. He thought it wasn't half-bad? Enormous ego, much, buddy?"

"Obviously overcompensation for a specific _short-coming_," Kendall snorted, suddenly getting into the spirit of things.

"The joke was really on him, though, since SHE'S the one who placed the ad that he answered. Apparently, she was looking for someone else, too, and she was looking before _he_ was."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The front door burst open and Bianca rushed in, Maggie hot on her heels. There was barely enough time to slam the door shut and throw the locks before Bianca was heading up the stairs with Maggie right behind her, giving her a not-so-gentle push from behind.

Bending simultaneously to remove the last of their undergarments, they were unaware of their proximity and their heads bonked together.

"Ow…" Maggie muttered, rubbing the rapidly enlarging lump on her forehead. "I don't think I'm in the mood anymore…"

Bianca pressed a palm to her own ever-expanding goose-egg, her other hand propped on her hip. "I think I can honestly say 'not tonight, honey, I have a headache'."

"Seriously, that's a buzz kill." The shorter woman reached for her discarded blouse. "Now what?"

"I need Advil," Bianca replied as she re-buttoned her own blouse before heading to the bedroom door.

"I need wine," Maggie muttered, following the brunette out of the room and down the hall. Before she could follow Bianca into the kitchen, there was a knock at the front door. "I'll get that if you get me some wine."

"And Advil," Bianca agreed. "Deal."

"What do you want for dinner?" Maggie called back over her shoulder as she went to see who was at their doorstep.

"I don't know," Bianca replied, exiting the kitchen as the blonde reached for the door knob. "I was thinking about-."

Maggie pulled the door open.

"Aiden!"

TBC-

P.S. As far as Civil Unions go in France, sadly at least one member of the couple must be a French citizen. I'm assuming it's to keep all the foreigners from racing to Paris to apply for a PACS which wouldn't be a legal union in any other country, but I don't know. For the purposes of this fic; however, just being a resident of France is more than enough.

I was tired of my lady  
We'd been together too long

Like a worn-out recording  
Of a favorite song  
So while she lay there sleeping  
I read the paper in bed  
And in the personal columns  
There was this letter I read  
"If you like Pina Coladas  
And getting caught in the rain  
If you're not into yoga

If you have half a brain  
If you'd like making love at midnight  
In the dunes on the Cape  
Then I'm the love that you've looked for  
Write to me and escape."

I didn't think about my lady  
I know that sounds kind of mean  
But me and my old lady  
Have fallen into the same old dull routine  
So I wrote to the paper  
Took out a personal ad  
And though I'm nobody's poet  
I thought it wasn't half bad

"Yes I like Pina Coladas  
And getting caught in the rain  
I'm not much into health food  
I am into champagne  
I've got to meet you by tomorrow noon  
And cut through all this red-tape  
At a bar called O'Malley's  
Where we'll plan our escape."

So I waited with high hopes  
And she walked in the place  
I knew her smile in an instant

I knew the curve of her face  
It was my own lovely lady  
And she said, "Oh it's you."  
Then we laughed for a moment  
And I said, "I never knew."  
That you like Pina Coladas  
Getting caught in the rain  
And the feel of the ocean  
And the taste of champagne  
If you'd like making love at midnight  
In the dunes of the Cape  
You're the lady I've looked for  
Come with me and escape

*Literal translation:

Can you say to me if Cecilia is here?

Can I help you?

**FYI - Generally, there is no tipping for services in Europe. The reason why is, most places charge a service charge just to sit down in a restaurant or patisserie. The usual custom is to pay your tab (the service charge is usually added in here), then leave whatever coins are returned after paying the bill (unlike the US, there are no 1€ bills in Europe, just 1€ and 2€ coins). This is also true for café's, which usually don't charge a service charge. This service charge takes the place of tips for the wait staff. Places like Harry's Bar in Venice; however, don't ascribe to this custom and you must tip as usual… they do this because Harry's Bar is ridiculously expensive and a service charge wouldn't match the 15-20% of a tip... I know this for a fact… stupid $225 lunch that I offered to pay for because I wanted to eat at Harry's Bar… :bob


End file.
